Transformers: A Different Story
by FLASHFAN123
Summary: Sari Sumdac is just a normal teenage girl. Juggling her student exchange program, living with her host parents, the Witwickys, trying to dodge bullies and make new friends. But what she wants more than anything, is her own car. But when she finds one with a special key, it turns out to be more than meets the eye. Rated M for safety. CANCELLED
1. Rude Awakening

**Detroit, Michigan.**

Sari Sumdac turned off her alarm clock with a tired groan. It had only been one week since she had taken part in the student exchange program, and already she was beginning to regret it. She had been eager to get away from her overbearing extended family back in India and see the Land of Opportunity with her own eyes, only to find that it wasn't much better. Day in and day out, she suffered constant teasing and harassment from her fellow students, despite her attempts to fit in.

Needless to say, she did enjoy certain aspects of her new life in America. For instance, she was free to pursue her dreams of becoming a music producer. And America had plenty of artists and producers to study from. She was also free to play video games as long as she promised to make time for homework; something her real family never let her do. And most importantly, she could wear whatever she wanted to without her father bugging her about it.

But there were still times when she felt rather lonely.

Rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes, she gazed back at her clock to see that it was five o'clock in the morning. That meant it was two-thirty back home; time for a web-chat. The exchange student sat up, opened her laptop, and shut her eyes as the blinding light filled her room.

 _"Sari?"_ An older man's voice coaxed her eyes back to the screen. _"Is this thing on?"_

"Hi, dad." Sari yawned. "Good to see you."

 _"I'm glad to see you, too, Sari."_ Isaac Sumdac smiled. _"Are you being treated well over there?"_

 _"_ Yeah, I'm fine." She promised, stretching her muscles. "Mrs. Witwicky is really nice, Mr. Witwicky should be coming home next week, and I've been keeping up with all my schoolwork."

 _"... Sari? Are you alright?"_ The scientist sounded concerned.

"Yeah." She lied. "Why _wouldn't_ I be?"

 _"Sari, you are my daughter, and I_ love _you."_ Isaac crossed his arms. _"But it doesn't take an_ engineer _to know when you are upset. What is bothering you?"_

Sari fiddled with her hair the way she always did when she was sad. "I just… I just wanna make _friends."_

 _"You_ will. _I promise."_ Isaac smiled. _"You are a nice young girl. I'm sure you'll meet someone you like."_

"Thanks, dad." Sari grinned. "Well, I gotta get ready for school. Bye, dad. Love you."

 _"I love you, too, Sari. And good luck at school."_ He finished. _"And tell Mrs. Witwicky I said hello."_

With that, the web-chat ended and Sari prepared for school. After brushing her teeth and a quick shower, the teenager fixed her hair into dual ponytails, donned her favorite orange blouse with a matching skirt, and two knee-length stockings. By the time she made her way down the hallway into the kitchen, her host-parent was already awake, tending to a nine-month-old infant.

"Good morning, sleepy-head." Carly Witwicky greeted.

"Good morning, Mrs. Witwicky. Good morning, Daniel." Sari playfully tickled under the baby's chin, making him giggle. A pleasant aroma tickled Sari's nostrils as she sat down for breakfast pancakes. "So, how was your chat with Mr. Witwicky last yesterday? Is he still coming home from Qatar next week?"

"Yes, he'll be here on Friday." Carly replied as she continued to spoon feed applesauce to her son. "What about _you?_ Did you remember to make time to call your father? He worries, you know."

"Yeah, I did. He said 'hi'." As she went to put her dishes in the sink, the teenager whistled, lowly. She rubbed the back of her neck and went back to the table. "So, uh… Mrs. Witwicky? I was wondering if some time after school, we could meet up at a car dealership?"

"Sari, your father made it clear that he didn't want you driving without his supervision." Carly reminded as she put the infant in his crib.

"But I'm _sixteen!_ I don't _need_ supervision!" Sari protested. "And even if I _did,_ isn't that why _you're_ my host parent? _C'mon,_ Mrs. Witwicky! _Please!"_ She begged.

"No is my final answer." Carly pointed for emphasis. Looking at the clock, she realized it was time for work. Putting on her lab coat and grabbing her keys, she handed Sari her backpack. "I need to head to work at the university. June will be here in a little while to take you to school and drop Daniel off at the daycare. I'll see you tonight."

Sari groaned in defeat and sat back at the table. The infant babbled as he pushed around his toy truck, laughing as he showed it to Sari. "Ugh, you don't have to _rub it in."_ She muttered.

In fifteen minutes, a white Ford Crown Victoria pulled into the driveway and a nurse rang the doorbell. Sari was just collecting the last of Daniel's things into the bag and locked the front door behind her. "Morning, Mrs. Darby."

"Good morning, Sari." The nurse looked tired. "Let's go, I've got to get to work soon. I've got a double shift tonight, so I won't be able to pick you up."

"That's okay. I could use the exercise."

Sari quickly set up Daniel's car seat in the back and took a seat right next to him. She was greeted by Jack, a student in her class and Nurse Darby's only son. He seemed like a good person, and she tried to make small talk with him a few times, but she could never work up enough courage to hold a meaningful conversation with him.

After a dropping Daniel off at the daycare, Sari and Jack were quickly let off at their own school. The poor girl was bored out of her mind as she spent the first five hours sitting through American Literature, Pre-Calculus, Chemistry, Spanish, and College-Preparation. Once the lunch bell rang, she practically sprinted towards the cafeteria, only to have something hit her ankle.

"OOF!" Sari grunted as her face painfully smacked against the hard floor. Looking up, she saw Josie Beller and her goons, Billy and Fred, were laughing at the poor girl's humiliation.

"Watch where you're _going,_ Sumdac." Beller sneared.

"Yeah! Summer's over, have a nice _fall!"_ The fat one laughed, only to be slapped by his skinnier friend.

"Seriously, Fred? That's like the most _basic_ joke ever."

Sari slammed her fist hard on the floor, cursing under her breath. This was the seventh time those jerks had messed with her. But before she could get too angry, a hand extended towards her. A brunette in a red top with white khakis was offering to help her up. She was also accompanied by two boys; a white kid with blond hairr, and a Latino kid with a skateboard in his backpack.

"Need a hand?" She asked.

Reluctantly, Sari took her hand and got back on here feet. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. I'm Alexis." The girl greeted. "Alexis Di Thang."

"I'm Rad White."

"And I'm Carlos Lopez."

"I'm Sari." Their new friend smiled.

"Oh, don't be. I like my name." Carlos joked, earning a nudge from Rad.

"N-no, I meant, my _name_ is-"

"He _knows_ what you meant." Rad assured. "He's just being _dumb._ Would you like to sit with us at lunch?"

Sari's smile grew wider. "I'd _like_ that."

By the time lunch was over, Sari had made much progress with her new trio of friends. She was amazed how three people of conflicting personalities could stay so close after so many years. Alexis was a straight-A student who dreamed of becoming president, Rad was a mechanical prodigy who wanted to become an engineer, and Carlos was the school's star athlete who wished to join the military like his uncle Jorge Figueroa.

"What about _you,_ chica?" The skater asked with a mouthful of fries. "What're _you_ doing after high school?"

"Well, my dad always hoped I'd follow in his footsteps and become a scientist." Sari sighed as she munched on her sandwich. "But my _real_ passion is in _music. Making_ it, _mixing_ it, _producing_ it. It's like, the _ultimate_ form of expression, y'know? I've got _hundreds_ of discs and tapes stocked in my host-parents' house."

"Dude, that sounds _awesome."_ Carlos praised. "You should hang with us, sometime. And bring your stuff _with_ you. We'd love to hear it."

Just then, the next bell rang and the group split up. The rest of the day went by rather quickly, ending in Art, English, and Gym class. After the final bell rang, Sari didn't hesitate to rush out the door. Reaching into her backpack, she dug out her special headphones and activated her music player. Cancelling out all surrounding noises as she headed home, the aspiring music producer nodded her head as she sang along to Indie Rock.

 _"_ ~Just a young _gun_ with a quick _fuse_ ~ I was _uptight,_ wanna _let loose_ ~ I was _dreaming_ of bigger _things_ ~ And wanna leave my _old life behind_ ~"

Unfortunately, Sari was so engrossed in her music, that she didn't notice the trio sneaking up on her. Beller yanked her headphones off while her thugs stole her backpack. "HEY!" She shouted in anguish. "Give that _back!"_

"What _is_ this?" Beller chortled as she searched through Sari's bag. "Your practice kit for when you join _tech support?"_

"Give it _back!"_ Sari demanded. She tried to reach out and grab it, but Fred and Billy held her back.

"You _want_ it?" The bully asked before tossing her bag into an abandoned parking garage. "Go _get_ it!"

The bullies laughed and ran off, leaving Sari to sulk. The girl bitterly grumbled to herself as she marched towards the garage. Luckily, she still had her phone with her, and used it as a flashlight to search for her missing items. "Sure, come to _America."_ She mumbled to herself. "Learn new _culture,_ discover new _opportunities._ It'll be _fun."_

At last, she located her stolen goods on an old crate. But as she collected her bag, she realized that it _wasn't_ a crate, but something underneath a burlap tarp. Shining her flashlight again, her eyes widened in surprise once she made out the shape. A quick tug sent the tarp flying away, revealing the most beautiful thing Sari had seen all day.

"Volkswagen…" She breathed, excitedly. "1983… tires in good condition…" But as she continued to examine the vehicle, she noticed a few flaws. The windshield was cracked in several places, as were a few of the windows. The hood was dented close to the point of being irreparable. There were also many questionable slices in the framework.

"The engine seems _good."_ She mused to herself. Shining the light inside the cab, her smile grew wider when she saw that the door was unlocked. The door swung open, easily, triggering the dome light to flicker on, weakly. Inspecting the cab further, she drew her attention to the sun visor. Much to her delight, once she opened it, a key landed in her palm.

It didn't appear to have any teeth, it looked as if it were made of some kind of blue crystal lined with gold. But the most interesting feature was a golden picture of a partially eclipsed sun branded on it. All in all, it did not look like a conventional car key. Nevertheless, she tried her luck.

The engine idled several times as she twisted the key. She was growing impatient as her find refused to start. But she was so frustrated that she didn't notice the blue spark of energy flash from the key into the car's ignition mechanism. Without warning, the vehicle roared to life, startling the girl.

"YES!" She cheered, checking the dashboard. "And it's got a _full tank?!_ Oh, ho, ho, ho! This is the _best_ day of my life!" Shifting the gears into drive, Sari rolled the little yellow Volkswagen out of the garage. Once she reached a red light, she turned her attention to the radio. She turned both knobs, fiddled with all the buttons and switches, but nothing happened. "Hmm. Gonna have to _fix_ that."

Once she arrived at her host household, she opened the garage door and wheeled her prize over to Mr. Witwicky's welding supplies. Since Nurse Darby would be working a double shift, that meant Mrs. Witwicky would be the one to pick up Daniel after work. That meant she would have at least three hours to work on the car.

"First thing's _first."_ She told herself as she started on the radio. "Essentials." Removing the radio, she looked through her backpack for her Bluetooth speaker system, which she hastily installed. Tapping her finger across her phone's screen, she was pleased to her her music blasting through the speakers.

"Okay, now for the _hard part."_ She chuckled and donned the welding mask.

But before she could begin, she heard something fall from beneath the car. Removing the mask, she looked to find something resembling a giant gun lying on the ground. Pulling it aside, she crawled under her new vehicle with a flashlight to inspect.

Suddenly, two blue lights flickered on, followed by a high-pitched wail. Sari quickly scooted away and gasped in fright at what was soon to come. The hood of the car split apart and shifted over the headlights. The engine tucked itself into the cab, while the doors opened up. Hood-covered bulk of the car extended outward, forming giant, mechanical feet. The doors slid to the underside as two arms popped out, pushing against the ground. At last, the trunk opened up and tucked in between the doors, while a giant, yellow head with two horns popped out.

Sari's screams echoed throughout the entire house as the monster that was once her car stood before her. Acting quickly, she turned around, ran to the door, and slammed it shut. Her trembling hands could barely operate the locks, but she was determined to latch all of them. Once she finished, the teenager frightfully hugged her knees to her chest with her eyes shut tight, waiting for the monster to burst through the wall at any moment.

But nothing happened.

Once Sari allowed herself to calm down, she looked down at her watch. Fifteen minutes had passed, and the strange creature hadn't attacked, or even tried to open the door. It hadn't even made a sound.

Her curiosity soon overpowered her fear, and Sari began to cautiously unlock the door. Opening it up just enough to peak inside, she saw a most peculiar sight to behold. The monster was sitting in a secluded corner of the garage, hugging its knees to its chest like a frightened child. As she opened the door wider, she noticed several pieces of its metal body appeared to be cut up or torn. A few sparks occasionally sprung free from its joints as it shivered, a low moaning noise leaked from its mouth, and a sad idea suddenly crept into Sari's mind.

 _"What if… what if this thing_ is _just a child?"_ She thought. _"And… and he's_ hurt."

Against her better judgement, Sari slowly stepped closer to the quivering robot. Upon noticing her, it tried desperately to back away further. A piece of metal fell off of its arm, and the robot quickly clenched the wound with his hand, as if it were in pain. Sari held her hands up to calm it.

"It's okay…" She soothed. "I-I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm a _friend._ A _friend._ Do… do you know the word 'friend'?" The giant machine nodded slowly, giving her some slight relief. At least now she knew it understood her. "Good, 'cause… 'cause, that's what I _am._ I'm a _friend._ I'm… I'm gonna come _closer_ to you, okay?"

The robot kept its eyes on her hand as she carefully made her way over to it. At last, the flesh of her palm made contact with its cold, metal skin. The robot seemed to take comfort in her gentle touch, and leaned in closer towards her. After a brief pause, Sari lifted her other hand up to caress its face; an action it enjoyed very much.

"My name's Sari Sumdac. What's your name?" She asked, calmly.

Its voice sounded like a high-pitched whine, similar to static she had heard while changing stations on the radio. But as it spoke, Sari's phone vibrated on the metal table, and she instinctively looked down to check it. An unknown number had sent her a message; "I… I am _Bumblebee."_

Sari looked back at the robot, peering through the windshield under its chest. The Bluetooth device she had installed was still active, and it seemed to be translating his language and sending it to her phone. Looking back at his face, she noticed he had stopped shivering. Almost as if he were comfortable. And then, he smiled at her.

"What _are_ you?" She asked.

* * *

 **SOCCENT Forward Operations Base, Qatar.**

A special mission force, with the sole purpose of defending the world's freedom against terrorists were just making the final rounds of a regular recon mission were just piling out of the helicopter. The team had grown fond of each other, giving each other nicknames that best reflected their specialties and personalities. Once they were debriefed, they went on to prepare for their scheduled leave from duty.

"Hey, Flint?" Petty Officer Delgado beckoned. "I take it you're gonna visit Lady Jaye?"

"You mean Secretary Alison Hart-Faireborn? My _wife?"_ Col. Faireborn grunted. "Yes. I _am."_

"And how's your daughter, Marissa?" The former Navy SEAL asked, provocatively.

"As far as _you're_ concerned, she's a _lesbian!"_ Flint barked.

"Hey, now! Can y'all _please_ take a break from bitchin' at each other for _one day?"_ Corporal Hinton groaned as he lifted the heavy rotary gun off of his shoulder.

"Easy, Roadblock." Second Lieutenant O'Hara eased her friend. "We're _all_ just a little antsy about getting home."

"Scarlett's right, 'Block." Captain Witwicky nodded. "I know _I_ can't wait to hold my little boy for the first time. But for now, we don't wanna _do_ or _say_ anything that can make General Hawk think we don't deserve our time off."

"Well, we'll get our _chance."_ Sergeant Major Hauser stepped in to help defuse the situation. "But for now, I want everyone to _split up_ and _cool off."_

Everyone silently agreed and went off to rest. Only Spike and Duke remained behind. The highest ranking officer walked over to the captain. "That was a _good job_ you did, trying to defuse the scuffle, Sergeant."

"Thank you, sir." Spike nodded. "Permission to get some dinner at the mess hall?"

"Granted. Help yourself, soldier." Duke saluted and sent him away. "And Spike?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Sparkplug would've been _proud."_

The sergeant smiled at the fond memory of his father as he walked away to the mess hall.

But as Duke went to deliver his report to his superior, the lights around the base began to flicker, uncontrollably. Rushing to the command hub, he met up with General Clayton "Hawk" Abernathy, as well as the tech experts, Dial Tone and Mainframe.

"Dial Tone, what's going on?"

"Not sure, General." The radio corporal tried to recalibrate the station's radar. "But I'm picking up a _faint signal._ An _F-22 Raptor."_

"One of _ours?"_ Duke questioned.

"... yes. Serial number reads _759-12-1013."_

"What? Sir, that plane was _shot down_ over Pakistan, _nine months ago."_ Mainframe corrected.

"There must be some _mistake."_ Hawk argued. "Check again."

"I'm _certain,_ sir." Mainframe folded his hands, mournfully. "That was _Slip Stream's_ ship."

Hawk and Duke shared an uneasy glance before the general reached for the intercom. "Attention, this is General Abernathy. All hands to the _landing platform._ A possible hostile is approaching the base."

In no time, a black F-22 Raptor made a gentle touchdown at the base, and was quickly surrounded by all available soldiers. But the pilot refused to deactivate his engines. Back in the command station, the communication experts were beginning to experience problems with their gear. The entire building's power shut down, forcing the emergency generator to activate.

"The hell was _that?"_ Duke asked.

"It came from the _jet."_ Mainframe deduced, and the four soldiers joined the rest of their army.

Using a megaphone, Hawk approached the aircraft. "Attention, F-22 pilot! Power down your engines, and step out with you hands above your head! If you do not comply, we _will_ use deadly force!"

At last, the ship's afterburners shut off. But instead of stepping out of the cockpit, the pilot vanished into thin air. Without warning, the wings of the ship detached from the hull and folded upwards. The soldiers were startled and confused as the plane's nose cone rotated one hundred and eighty degrees before sliding inward. The tail fins folded forward as a pair of legs and arms sprouted from the body.

Where there was once a typical F-22 Raptor, now stood a giant, black and purple robot.

"What the hell is that thing?!"

"Who cares?! Open fire!"

The soldiers unleashed everything they had on the mechanical monstrosity. But the machine merely shrugged off their attacks before returning fire. Two laser cannons were mounted on each of its arms, and they quickly cut through most of the men and women. Before the unit had a chance to reload, a wave of purple energy erupted from the robot's chest, and it teleported towards the station's assault vehicles.

Scarlett, Spike, and Flint watched in horror as it cut through the tanks and helicopters like wheat in a field. Roadblock noticed that it was heading towards the infirmary, and rushed to warn the medics and patients. "Roadblock, wait!" Spike called out, but it was no use.

"Lifeline!" The marine called out. "EVACUATE THE INJURED! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

He was just in time as he saw the field medic carrying out the injured soldiers. The robot fired an incendiary missile at the empty building, giving him space between the soldiers and himself and the communications hub. Duke, Shipwreck, and Flint wanted to go on the offensive, but they realized it would be better to retreat with the injured and summon reinforcements.

Roadblock grabbed a scanner to capture a surveillance photo of the robot. But on his way to regroup, he was trapped underneath the monster. Trying to keep calm, he aimed the camera at the snarling robot as it proceeded with its rampage. Once he was certain he had obtained what he needed, the marine rushed to his friends.

Spike looked at what was left of his brigade, then back at the ruined station. He and his unit would have to wait a little longer before going home.

Meanwhile, the robotic extraterrestrial wiped out the remaining organic beings as he gathered up every salvageable piece of communication technology. The smell of plasma and sulfur tickled his olfactory sensors as the light of the flames made his armor shine brightly. It pleased him, greatly.

The alien cackled as he gazed at the fruits of his labor. In addition to the machines he would need to construct a long-range communication device, the human's military base was fully equipped with the ammunition the Decepticon's would need to overthrow the wretched insect planet and harvest its energies. The Seeker examined one of the tactical missiles, shaking from excitement. Gathering all the weapons he could collect, the Decepticon flier began to glow with a dark purple energy that soon encompassed the other weapons and equipment. In the blink of an eye, he was teleported to a secret location, stocked with even more stolen weapons.

"Oh, Megatron, my leader…" Skywarp grinned. "When you arrive, you will be greeted with _riches…_ such terrible, _terrible_ riches."

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

 **Okay, first of all;** _ **NO,**_ **I am not abandoning my JLA story to write this. I plan on finishing Justice Legion of Avengers** _ **first**_ **and then continuing with Shattered Reality. Secondly, this is a test chapter to see how well people like it. The reason I took down my old Transformers fic was because I was dissatisfied with the writing and the plot. This time, if I think it's good enough, I plan on exploring individual characters and their relationships with others, as well as character development. And third, YES, I know the girl in the new trailer is not Sari Sumdac, but again this is a coalition of multiple Transformer universes.**

 **This will be a bit of a mash-up between almost all Transformers universes. I guess this could count as a crossover with G.I. Joe, but it'll focus more on the Transformers.**

 **Please leave a review if you like this story so far and tell me if you think it's worth continuing. If you have any serious criticisms, please tell me why and I'll try to improve it. Thanks for your time, and have a great day!**


	2. Explainations

**Qatar.**

Spike Witwicky peered through his binoculars, searching for a nearby settlement. The group was lucky enough to escape from the mechanical monster in time to escape. At the moment, their team only consisted of himself, Duke, Roadblock, Flint, Scarlett, Breaker, Lifeline, and Shipwreck.

"I've never seen _anything_ like this." Roadblock thought out loud as he examined the video feed. "I mean, I've read reports of other countries experimenting with robot war-suits, but this thing looks as if it's _alive."_

"How so?" Scarlett questioned, trying to get a view of the data, herself.

"The way he was _moving…"_ Roadblock explained. "It's too _fluid_ for even the most _advanced_ technology we've ever seen. In fact, it's whole body almost looks _humanoid._ And then, there's the _eyes…"_

There was a long silence before the others looked back to see their friend falling behind. "You _okay,_ buddy?" Lifeline asked.

"... when I took that picture… I think he _saw_ me." The group had never seen their friend so unhinged. "He looked _right at me."_

"We gotta get this back to the Pentagon." Duke ordered. "They'll know what to do."

"Easier _said_ than _done."_ Breaker grumbled. "Our radio is _fried._ I've got _no way_ to contact the Air Force _or_ the Navy."

"No problem." Spike pointed north. "I spotted a village twenty klicks away. If we keep moving, we can make it before sundown."

"Then what are we _waiting_ for?" Shipwreck started marching. "I'm _thirsty."_

Unbeknownst to the soldiers, something was burrowing under the sand, following them.

* * *

 **Detroit, Michigan.**

After the brief chaos of meeting him for the first time, Sari grew fond of Bumblebee. Once he finally stopped acting so nervous around her, he allowed her to continue repairing his chassis. The robot was actually surprised that she managed to stop his external armor from falling apart, and beeped in gratitude for her efforts.

"So, how come you can't _talk?"_ She asked as she tightened a few lug nuts on his leg. Before he could respond, she adjusted the Bluetooth headphones over her ears. "I mean, why can't you talk like a _normal_ person. Or, is that just _your_ language?"

 _["No."]_ Even with the digital voice, she picked up on how upset he sounded. _["My voice-box was damaged in battle."]_

"I-I'm _sorry."_ She stammered. "Maybe I can fix it."

 _["I appreciate the offer, Sari."]_ He smiled, sadly. _["But a voice-box is a_ biological _component, not a_ technological _one. It_ can't _be fixed._ Ratchet _tried,_ Red Alert _tried,_ Fixit _tried, they all ended up saying the_ same thing; _it will_ never _be fixed."]_

"Well, _I_ haven't tried." Sari flashed a cocky grin. "And I don't _give up_ so easily." As she continued with the repairs, an interesting query popped into her mind. "You said… you said _battle._ Who were you fighting?"

 _["It's a_ long story."] Bumblebee moaned. _["My species has been at war for over_ six million years."] Sari looked startled. _["A long time ago, two strong people, Optimus and Megatron, saw how badly the government was abusing their power and they tried to do something about it. But while Optimus wanted to go the peaceful route, Megatron decided to_ kill _Sentinel Prime and overthrow the High Council. I joined Optimus' army, the_ Autobots, _because Megatron was_ nuts."]

"So… why are you _here?"_

 _["Because the war_ killed _my planet. I… I can't remember a_ lot. _My memory circuits are still_ buffering. _I was assigned to a_ mission… _with a_ team."] Bumblebee held his head in his hands, as if it were painful to think. _["I'm… not sure_ why _I'm_ here… _but I think… I think it has something to do with that_ key."]

Sari looked to where he was pointing, noticing the same blue, crystalline key she found under his sun visor. "What does _this_ have to do with a war?"

 _["I'm not su-"]_ The robot's English ended, abruptly, replaced by the previous high-pitched beeps and whines he started with.

"Ugh, they _died!"_ Sari grunted and pulled her headphones off. She plugged them into the nearest outlet to recharge, and rested her chin on her hand in annoyance. Bumblebee leaned in close, whining sadly. The teenager felt guilty for making him think she was ignoring him. "Sorry, 'Bee. Until those things recharge, I can't understand you. Unless..."

The Autobot tilted his head as he watched his human friend digging through her backpack again. At last, she pulled out another media-device, attached it to an auxiliary cord, reached under his chassis, and plugged it into the Bluetooth device she had installed, earlier. Bumblebee still looked confused as she lightly tapped the buttons of the small machine.

"I may not be able to understand _exactly_ what you're saying without the headphones…" She explained with a smile. "But until then, _music_ can help you express how you're feeling. Try this."

" _~Never gonna give you up ~ Never gonna let you down ~"_

Bumblebee unplugged the device and gave the girl a look of contempt. "Pff! Shows what _you_ know!" She pouted. "That song is _very popular_ on this planet."

Just then, a pair of headlights illuminated the driveway, and Sari's eyes shrank with fear. "Oh, my God! Mrs. Witwicky! What am I gonna _do?!_ What am I gonna _say?!"_ While she was panicking, Bumblebee noticed the headlights and acted quickly.

"What in the name of…?" Carly stepped out of her car and took her son into her arms.

"Mrs. Witwicky!" Sari stammered, uncontrollably. "O-okay! Don't freak out! I can _explain!"_

"Alright, explain." The older woman angrily marched past the teenager with her son in one arm, and motioned towards the damaged Volkswagen Beetle with the other. "I thought I made it _clear_ that you were _not_ going to have a car without your father's permission!"

Sari gaped at the car with a baffled expression. _"Oh, right."_ She remembered. Knowing that Bumblebee's secret was still safe, she turned to her host parent. "W-well, I _know_ you said that. But, I was on my way home and… and I just found this guy. He… he _called_ to me, y'know?"

Carly sighed heavily before giving the vehicle a closer inspection. "How'd you even _afford_ this?"

"Well, uh…" Sari tried to come up with an excuse. "It's… it's _old._ And it needs a _ton_ of body work. I was _lucky_ to have it rolled in here in _one piece."_

"Sari-" Carly prepared to put an end to the argument and force the girl to return the car, but her guest pressed on.

"Wait! Look, I'll only be here for my _junior_ and _senior_ years of high school! And then I have the option to either _go home_ or _stay_ and become a citizen." Sari measured her words, carefully. "If I were to have this car, it could save Mrs. Darby a lot of time, and I could even help _you_ with a lot of stuff! I already have a part-time job at the music store, so I can afford my _own_ gas! And after I graduate, I can just _sell it!_ So… can I keep him?"

" _Him?"_ Carly's eyebrow arched at the odd choice of words.

"Heh… it's kind of a _personal_ reference." Sari grinned as she rubbed her arm, nervously.

The University Professor rubbed her chin, deep in thought. As much as she hated the idea of disrespecting Prof. Sumdac's wishes, the exchange student had brought up some valid points in her defense. Additionally, she sympathized with how hard it had been for the poor girl to adjust to her new social life, and perhaps this car would give her something to take her mind off of it. At last, she reached a conclusion.

"Alright." She sighed. "You can keep it."

"YES!" Sari jumped with excitement.

"Under _these_ conditions!" Carly added, raising a finger to emphasize her seriousness. "You have to let me know _where_ you're going _every time_ you take it out. You _call me_ whenever you get to where you're going. _And,_ you will _always_ be back before eight o'clock."

"I understand." Sari nodded, eagerly. "Thank you, Mrs. Witwicky! You _won't_ regret this!"

"And, uh… you _will_ take me for a ride every now and then, right?"

"Well, see…" Sari looked back at the dormant vehicle as she led her host parent into the house. "He's a little _shy."_

One week later, Sari had made great progress in repairing her new friend. The only problem she had was restoring his voice-box, but she refused to give up. Given that he prefered to keep his robot-mode a secret, they never had time for him to fully explain who he really was. However, she had offered a plan to go to a secluded area near Belle Isle Beach where they wouldn't be disturbed. Thankfully, he agreed.

So, early one Saturday morning, she made an arrangement with Carly to head to the beach and be back long before eight o'clock. Once they arrived, she wrapped a towel around her waist, took the cooler out of his backseat, and surveyed the area to guarantee that they were alone.

"Okay… here we are." Sari placed her hands on her hips and gazed at the beautiful scenery. "It's the middle of September, so we don't likely have to worry about anyone coming by on this beach. We are _miles_ from the nearest town, and it's _Saturday,_ so we have _all day._ So… _now_ can we talk?"

The girl turned back towards the robot in disguise, only to flinch as his transformation kicked up a wave of sand towards here. Another high-pitched whine slipped through his lips, prompting Sari to reach into her bag and don her Bluetooth headphones. _["Sorry…"]_ Bumblebee tapped his fingers together, nervously.

"It… it's _okay."_ Sari brushed the sand off of herself and set the towel on the ground. Her robotic friend mimicked her movements as she sat, cross-legged, on the neatly spread towel. "So… _how_ did you get here?"

Bumblebee tilted one of the horns on his head, and a low hum emitted from his body. Suddenly, his eyes glowed brightly as they projected an image onto the sand. _["I am accessing my_ memory circuits."] He explained. _["This is the last thing I remember…"]_

* * *

 _ **Nebulos. Four Million Years Ago.**_

 _The Throttlebots, a sub-faction of the Autobot army, were an elite team of couriers, spies, scouts, and saboteurs. Lead by Searchlight, they had been ordered by Optimus Prime to meet with his own crew on the organic planet. Unfortunately, Chase, their pilot, had overestimated the shielding of their ship when entering the atmosphere, and they crashed in the badlands._

 _Luckily, they managed to preserve the ship's navigational transmitter, and_ the Ark _was bound for their location. Wideload, Chase, and Freeway opted to stay behind and guard the ship, while Searchlight ordered Rollbar and Bumblebee to follow him into the wild. Much to the latter two's surprise, their leader had brought them to an ancient Cybertronian shuttle buried under three miles of rock._

 _But while they started digging, the others weren't exactly happy with the detour._

 _"Ugh! These things are_ ridiculous!" _The bulky, orange one grunted, loudly. "What are they called, again? 'Trees'?"_

 _"Quite the_ outdoorsman. Aren't you, _Wideload?" Freeway joked. "You'd think a_ dump truck _wouldn't mind getting his servos dirty."_

 _Wideload smacked his blue friend upside the head, earning an angered yelp in response. "You'd think a 'bot with an_ empty brain module _would have a thicker_ motherboard!"

 _"Hey, c'mon, guys!" The friendliest of the Throttlebots, desperately tried to dissolve the argument. "Wideload,_ look; _Searchlight says Bumblebee just finished the call to Optimus Prime's ship. We'll be outta here in_ half a cycle, _tops."_

 _"It's gonna take_ half a cycle _for me to_ rust!" _Wideload continued to whine. "Just because we're at_ war _doesn't mean I can't keep up my_ beautiful image!"

 _Chase rubbed his face in frustration. "Wideload, my friend, I hope someday I find someone who loves_ me _as much as_ you _love_ yourself. _But I can at least appreciate your_ sentiment. _I'd like to get off this rock before I catch a laser blast from the natives."_

 _"Heh-heh. I wouldn't worry about_ that, _Chase." Freeway giggled. "The meat-sacks on this planet are_ embarrassingly _primitive. So, statistically speaking, carbon monoxide poisoning and an overdose of solar radiation will kill you long_ _before a_ laser, _my friend."_

 _"Do you take_ anything _seriously, you little, blue midget?"_

 _"No, not_ really."

 _Meanwhile, at the other crashed ship, Bumblebee and Rollbar diligently dug away at the rubble while Searchlight stood guard. Bumblebee was eager to find what treasures lay behind the metal doors, but his friend, Rollbar, was not very amused._

 _"Damn!" He groaned. "I joined this outfit to be an_ adventurer! _Traveling the_ universe, _exploring_ new frontiers, _using my skills to_ serve _the Autobot cause! But I wasn't_ told _that included_ mining _duty!"_

 _"Well,_ sorry, _Rollbar." Searchlight muttered. "But trust me, what's inside that ship is worth_ more _than you know."_

 _"Yeah, I'll_ bet." _The green Throttlebot grunted._

 _"Besides…" Searchlight added with a smug grin. "You said you wanted_ adventure. _And now_ here we are, _on an_ organic planet, lightyears _from home, preparing to rendezvous with_ Optimus Prime's _unit at any cycle… what more could you want?"_

 _"Well, uh, call me_ picky, _but our own_ working spaceship _would be nice." Rollbar crossed his arms._

 _"There's just_ no pleasing _some people." Searchlight sighed, shaking his head._

 _At last, Bumblebee had moved enough of the rock out of the way. Calling the others over to the door, the trio pried it open wide enough for Bumblebee to climb inside. But when the little, yellow Autobot returned, the only thing he brought with him was a blue crystal lined with gold._

 _"Is that_ it?" _Rollbar was now even more unamused._

 _"Let's get back to the_ ship. _I'll fill_ everyone _in on this." Searchlight ordered. "Throttlebots, roll for it!"_

 _A few minutes later, all six of the Throttlebots were reunited in what was left of the ship's command deck. "Okay, 'Bots, first thing's_ first. _You've all heard of the_ AllSpark, _right?"_

 _"You mean the_ Heart of Primus?" _Wideload chuffed._

 _"The source of all life on Cybertron?" Chase added._

 _"The very source that son of a glitch, Megatron, snuffed out?" Rollbar put in._

 _"Yes, well… here's the_ real _story." Searchlight held the crystal in his palm as he told the tale to his friends. "Prime claims that when he found the Matrix of Leadership in Cybertron's core, he saw a_ vision _of the original Thirteen Primes. They told him that the damage caused by the war could only be undone by reactivating the AllSpark. A task that couldn't be completed without the proper_ keys _to do so. I'm sorry I kept this from you all for so long, but we couldn't risk tipping off the Decepticons."_

 _"So, you're saying we found the key to the_ AllSpark?" _Freeway asked, taking the matter seriously for once. "As in, the_ real _AllSpark?"_

 _"No." Searchlight corrected. "We found_ a _key. Not_ the _key."_

["Searchlight? Searchlight, come in."] _A voice came over the ship's comm-link._ ["Searchlight, respond!"]

 _"I'm here, go ahead." The leader answered._

["This is _Cliffjumper_ of _the Ark."] The caller went on._ ["We're about to send down a _shuttle_ to pick you up. Have you secured the objective?"]

 _"Yes. The key is in safe hands." Searchlight assured. "We await your arrival."_

 _Soon, the Throttlebots rallied with Optimus' crew aboard_ the Ark. _Searchlight had entrusted Bumblebee with safeguarding the key as they entered the grand ship's command deck. Once there, they were greeted by the crew's first lieutenant._

 _"Nice of you to join us, Throttlebots." Jazz smiled. "Red Alert, do your thing."_

 _The medic-bot's left arm had been replaced with a standard multi-medical tool, which she used to scan the six scouts for any ill effects the planet's atmosphere might have inflicted. "I detect nothing_ too _serious." She commented. "But… the one you call_ Bumblebee _appears to have suffered severe damage to his_ voice-box."

 _"He's… had that for a while." Chase spoke up. It was no secret to the group that Bumblebee was still sensitive about his inability to speak properly. "Can you fix it?"_

 _"I suppose." She offered, leading the young 'bot to the ship's corridor. "I'll take him to sick-bay."_

 _"So, now that we have the key, what do we do?" Freeway asked to no one in particular._

 _"We managed to salvage Shockwave's prototype of_ space bridge _technology." Arcee explained as she piloted the ship. "We can use it to search for uninhabited planets that are rich with energon so we can_ resupply."

 _"Space bridge tech?" Searchlight sounded impressed. "How'd you get your hands on_ that?"

 _"Ha ha ha! You can thank me and my partner for that!" Bluestreak replied. "Cliffjumper put the smack down on the 'Cons while_ I _snagged the data!"_

 _"We would've gotten_ more _than just the data if it weren't for your constant_ chatter, _'Streak." The red warrior grunted._

 _"Oh, you mean like the kind of_ 'chatter' _that distracted Shockwave long enough for you to free yourself?" Bluestreak replied, smugly._

 _"Powering up the space bridge." Aerialbot Silverbolt announced as he piloted_ the Ark _and activated Teletraan-1. Sure enough, a massive portal opened up in the black void of space, and_ the Ark _headed towards it._

 _But as the ship exited the planet's orbit, something struck the hull. "Arcee! Cliffjumper! What the pit was_ that?!" _Jazz steadied himself._

 _The pink Autobot marksman manned the ship's videofeed, spotting the attacker. A menacing Decepticon warship fired onto_ the Ark _with everything it had to offer. "We're under attack! It's_ the Nemesis! _"_

"The Nemesis?!" _Wideload shrieked. "As in Megatron's personal flagship?! We are_ so _slagged!"_

 _"Not if_ we _have anything to say about it!" Hound ran towards_ the Ark's _gunports, dragging Sideswipe and Cliffjumper with him._

 _"We're finally gonna get into a fight!" Sideswipe cheered._

 _"Good! I've been_ itching' _to blow up some stinkin' 'Cons!" Cliffjumper agreed. "You coming, partner?"_

 _"As if you had to_ ask, _Cliff!" Bluestreak called back as she followed._

 _In no time at all, the two warships were engaged in a fierce firefight. Red Alert interrupted her procedure on Bumblebee as the med-lab shook, violently. "Decepticons!" She surmised as she activated her comm-link. "Optimus! We are under attack! Optimus, come in!"_

 _Just then, the door blew open, and a brigade of Vehicons stormed inside. Red Alert silently ordered Bumblebee to stay hidden as she pointed to the tactical light setting on her arm-cannon. "Don't fire! I'm a medic!" She feigned surrender with her hands in the air._

 _"Death to all Autobots!" The Vehicons aimed their blasters at the seemingly helpless medic. Only for them to be blinded by her bright safety light._

 _"Bumblebee, take them out!" Red Alert ducked, allowing the yellow scout to gun down the mindless drones. His friend inspected the ship's schematic readouts. "Bumblebee, I'm detecting two Cybertronians currently engaged in heavy conflict on_ the Ark's _bow! One of them appears to be Optimus! We need to send him reinforcements!"_

 _Bumblebee nodded, transformed, and rushed out to aid his commander. But getting there proved most difficult. On the way, he was bombarded by enemy firepower. But his fear of the Decepticons was overpowered by his desire to help Optimus, and he carried on despite his injuries. At last, he crawled up to the bow of_ the Ark, _horrified to see Megatron aiming his fusion cannon at the Autobot leader._

 _"Even if you destroy_ me, _Megatron…" Optimus breathed, wearily._ "Others _will rise to defeat your tyranny."_

 _"Then I'll just have to destroy you_ all!" _Megatron cackled._

 _Thinking quickly, and without hesitation, Bumblebee jumped in front of the blast, knocking him into his leader's arms. "BUMBLEBEE!" Optimus cried. The young 'bot reached up to ensure that his actions weren't in vain. The Autobot Supreme Commander felt his spark sink as he was helpless to save his comrade._

 _"What a_ waste _of ammunition!" Megatron growled and extended his blade._

 _Optimus grimly set his friend aside and glared at the Decepticon warlord. "After countless millennia of conflict, I finally see the truth in your words, Megatron…"_

 _"And what would_ that _be, Optimus?" Megatron brought his weapon down, only for it to be blocked by the Prime's energon axe._

 _"This universe, no matter how_ vast, _will_ never _be big enough for you and I to coexist!"_

 _Bumblebee watched with tired optics as the two warriors tore at each other like wild animals. It was certainly a sight to behold as pieces of metal and streams of energon flew everywhere. But he was so transfixed on the battle, he didn't notice the growing instability of the space bridge portal until it began to drag him into it._

["Optimus!"] _He cried out. But his pleas fell on deaf ears as the portal tore the ships apart._ ["Optimus, help me! Searchlight! Rollbar! Cliffjumper! Anybody! HELP!"]

* * *

 _["And that's_ all _I remember."]_ Bumblebee finished his tale. _["By the time I landed on Earth, I must have been too tired to think straight. My instincts probably went on overdrive, and I remained hidden in this vehicle-mode so that I couldn't be detected by humans. And the extensive damage and low energon forced me into_ stasis lock… _until_ you _revived me with the key."]_

"An alien…" Sari breathed, excitedly. "I'm sitting in front of a _real, live alien._ So… what happened to the _other_ Autobots?"

 _["Who knows?"]_ Bumblebee shrugged. _["Most likely the portal sent them somewhere into the farthest reaches of the galaxy."]_

"Can't you _call_ them? Or let them know where you are?" She offered.

 _["Well... "]_ The former Throttlebot opened up his trunk, dumping out three eccentric devices. _["Hmm, let's see… a short-range communicator, an energon converter, and my only blaster pistol. The converter can help me when I'm running low, and my blaster is low on ammo… but if I can boost the signal, this communicator_ could _send out a signal to_ the Ark _by bouncing it off of different planetary atmospheres… but it'll take_ time."]

"Just let me know what you need, 'Bee!" Sari smiled. "I'll help in any way I can."

 _["Thank you, Sari."]_ Bumblebee smiled. Just then, a low beeping noise came from his arm, and he began to feel weak. _["Uh… and you can_ start _by leading me to the nearest fuel depot, please."]_

Once he converted to vehicle-mode, he instructed Sari to simply fill up a gas can and let him handle the rest. After they returned to the beach, the Autobot poured the gasoline into a different device, and typed in a certain code. Much to the girl's amazement, the fuel started to glow bright pink. Bumblebee detached the glass container, and injected the entire contents into his arm.

"What'd you call it again?" She asked.

 _["Energon."]_ He replied. _["Well,_ synthetic energon. _Nowhere_ near _as good as the_ real _stuff, but it'll tide me over for a few days… but for now, how about we just enjoy the rest of the day?"]_ He crossed his legs and picked up his new friend with little effort.

"H-hey! Watch the hands, buster!" Sari giggled as he set her down in his lap. "What's the big deal? Don't you have sunsets on _Cybertron?"_

 _["Not like_ this…"] Bumblebee sighed, happily.

* * *

 **Uzbekistan.**

Within the sandy caverns of the Kyzylkum Desert, a stockpile of stolen weapons and communication technology lay hidden away from the outside world. Multiple governments around the world had suffered from ransacked military facilities, though no one knew who was behind the attacks. While some wanted to believe it was the actions of a rogue terrorist organization, most were beginning to think it was the official beginning of World War III.

But none of that mattered to the exhausted Throttlebot, Wideload, as he forced his optic sensors to stay active. His transformation cog had suffered too much damage for him to convert to vehicle-mode. His arms and legs had atrophied from being bound up for so long, rendering them vestigial. Worst of all, the disgusting sand of the germ-ridden planet was corroding his internal circuitry. The mysophobic Autobot groaned in anguish, helplessly watching the energon harvester slowly drain him of his life-giving fluids.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind racked the little 'bot against his restraints. Skywarp flew towards the entrance of the cave at top speed, only to teleport inside at the last minute and transform into robot-mode. The Seeker made his way towards the harvester and injected himself with the stolen energon.

"Ah, it's _good_ to recharge." He grunted, happily. "Wouldn't you _agree,_ Auto-brat?"

"Guh… frggd…" Wideload muttered, barely able to raise his voice.

"I'm sorry? Could you _speak up?"_

"Get… _fragged…"_ He repeated.

The Decepticon chuckled and went back to his personal project. It was challenging enough to build a long-range communication device from scratch, but the fact that he was forced to work with such primitive tools proved quite stressful for Skywarp. Nevertheless, his resolve remained strong as he diligently adjusted the angle of the satellite dish and alternated between frequencies. Once he was satisfied, he picked up a giant microphone to transmit his message to the stars.

"Testing… testing…" Skywarp spoke, carefully, into the communication device. "To any Decepticons out there, this is _Skywarp_ of Megatron's Elite Seeker Armada. I have an urgent message for our _glorious leader."_ At this point, the Seeker's tone grew much more vibrant. "Mighty Megatron, my _master,_ I know not _where_ you are in the infinite void of space, but I have _no doubt_ that you are amassing a _powerful army_ to finally destroy the accursed _Autobots._ I have discovered the means to _supply_ such an army, my lord. After the battle with the _Ark,_ I stumbled upon a planet called _Earth._ It is _primitive_ but _rich_ with energon. The dominant race is _weak,_ and could easily be _crushed_ beneath your heal! I offer you untapped _riches,_ my leader. And all I ask in return is that these resources be put to _good use._ I await your arrival, Lord Megatron."

"You… you're _fragged_ in the _head_ if you think they'll come…" Wideload coughed as his captor deactivated the device. The Decepticon had been lucky enough to have arrived through the space bridge portal along with an Autobot. Despite his small stature, the vain Throttlebot had been an easy source of energon before the Seeker was able to find a larger source.

But the little guy was beginning to run low, and his usefulness was fleeting. "Megatron's _dead."_ The brave Autobot spat. "Along with everyone _else_ on those warships. We _barely_ made it through the space bridge alive, _ourselves."_

"Pah! Just because _you_ have no faith in your own kind does not mean I _share_ your sentiment!" Skywarp snapped at his dying hostage. "Megatron _lives!_ I _feel_ it in my spark! You Autobots believe yourselves to be _superior,_ that only _you_ can lead Cybertron back to its former glory, and that Prime deserves to control _everyone_ because of his _false title!_ But _I_ believe only _two things;_ the Decepticons will _rule_ the Cybertron… and Megatron will rule the _Decepticons."_

Wideload tried to respond, but the persistent drain of his natural energon reserve had finally taken its toll. The cleanest of all the Throttlebots closed his eyes for the last time and his spark extinguished. Skywarp sighed in annoyance, knowing that now he'd have to find a new source of energon. Fortunately, he had kept track of the planet's deposits. He even found it humorous that the humans had often stumbled upon them without even knowing what they'd discovered.

"Oh, Lord Megatron…" Skywarp mused to himself. "I have a feeling you will be most _pleased_ with this planet."

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's Note: Red Alert and Bluestreak are _female_ Autobots in this story's continuity. The reason being that I always felt there was never enough representation in the cartoons. But I do plan on introducing _other_ Autobots who are _canonically_ female. It'll just take a while. If you have any other Transformers you'd like to see in later chapters, send me a PM or leave a review!**


	3. New Developments

**Regulon 4.**

Cliffjumper's optics slowly came back online as the planetary system's sunlight shone through _the Alchemor's_ viewscreen. "Oh, my aching _processor…"_ He grumbled, rising to his feet. Once his mind cleared, he began to recall what had transpired before. After the space bridge portal became unstable, Prime ordered an immediate retreat into the cruiser's emergency scout ships. The last thing he remembered, he and five other Autobots piled into _the Alchemor_ just as everything went dark.

"Alright, who's not _dead?_ Sound off." He called out. But to his surprise, he found himself sitting right next to an unconscious Decepticon. "WHOA! WHOA!" He jumped to his feet and converted his arms into cannons.

"What…?" The white ninja-bot woke with a start and drew his swords upon surveying his surroundings.

"Hey, calm down, Drift!" Bluestreak held up her hands in defense. "Cliffjumper, put the guns away! We're all on the same side, remember!"

"Huh? Uh… yes, I remember, now." Drift nodded as he put away his blades.

"Huh, I wouldn't be so _sure_ of that, 'Streak." The red warrior snarked and reluctantly retracted his own weapons.

"Is anyone hurt?" Hound woke up just in time to see Arcee helping a red and white medic regain her footing.

"Red Alert!" The green scout sighed in relief. "Aren't _you_ a sight for sore optics."

"Does anybody know where we are?" Arcee groggily made her way over to the flight console, accessing the ship's navigational computer. Thankfully, the ship's systems hadn't suffered any serious damage. "Regulon Four. A _dead_ world. Lovely." The marksman mused, sardonically.

"Can you tell if we were followed by the Decepticons?" Cliffjumper asked, eagerly. "I owe 'em a few _dents!"_

"Looks like _we're_ the only one's on this rock." Arcee confirmed, much to her friend's disappointment.

"Are the comm-systems still active?" Hound inspected what little damage there was. "Maybe we can contact _the Ark."_

"Not likely." Red Alert pitched in, her multi-tooled arm already interfacing with the ship's mainframe. "While our communications are _unharmed,_ we won't be able to contact _any_ Autobots. We've been in _stasis lock_ for an unpredictable amount of time. I'm not even sure how _long_ it's been since the exodus from Cybertron."

The news did not sit well with the crew. "If _that's_ the case, how do we even know if Cybertron still _exists?"_ Arcee choked out.

"It _must_ exist!" Drift slammed his fist into the wall. "We shall _repair_ this vessel! We'll scour the entire _universe_ if we must! We'll amass an army _far greater_ than the Decepticons! And when we _do,_ we _strike!"_

"Whoa, slow down!" Cliffjumper pointed up at the taller 'bot. "Who went offline and made _you_ Prime?!"

"Given that we are lacking any _official_ leadership, _I_ shall lead us to victory." Drift slapped Cliffjumper's hand away in disgust. "I am the _obvious_ choice. I know how the Decepticons _think._ They will have _undoubtedly_ suffered the same shortcomings as _we_ have. We must rally ourselves while they are _weak."_

"Ha! Way to defend yourself!" Cliffjumper snorted, readying his arm-cannons. _"No one_ in their right _mind_ would follow a Decepticon!"

"I am _not_ a Decepticon, any longer!" The ninja-bot gripped the hilt of his sword.

" _Once_ a 'con, _always_ a 'con! _I'll_ be giving the orders around here!"

 _"Try_ it! You'll only lead them to _defeat!"_

"You mess with the _Cliffjumper,_ you get the _horns!"_

"Cliff, calm down!" Bluestreak desperately tried to pull her partner's arms away from Drift.

"Both of you _knock it off!"_ Arcee did her best to hold Drift away from the short-tempered foot soldier, only to be pushed back into the control board.

"Have you all blown a _diode?!"_ Red Alert cried. "I'm trying to _work_ here!"

"Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!" Hound stamped his foot so hard, the entire ship nearly destabilized. After the others finally ceased their bickering, the tallest of the group calmed himself. "Okay, _arguing_ won't solve _anything,_ especially if we resort to _violence._ We're not _Decepticons."_

"So, what? _You_ wanna take control?" Cliffjumper crossed his arms, indignantly.

"No. I prefer to _take_ orders than _give_ them." Hound assured his friend. "But if we're gonna have a _leader,_ we need to be _serious_ about it. So I suggest we handle the chain of command like _Autobots:_ by _secret ballot."_

* * *

 **Detroit, Michigan.**

 _"And don't forget, students; this Saturday is the annual Tarka High School Parade! If you have any questions on how to enter the special contest, please see your teachers!"_

Sari ignored the announcement as she made her way to her locker with her friends. She had no interest in after-school activities when she had a ten-foot tall yellow robot waiting for her in the parking lot. But as the final bell rang, she patiently waited to bid her new human friends goodbye.

"Maybe we should enter the contest!" Carlos offered as he read the pamphlet he picked up in homeroom. "I've got some scrap in my backyard. I'm sure the four of _us_ can come up with something if we put our heads together."

"That might not be such a bad idea, man." Rad read the pamphlet over his friend's shoulder. "It even says we could win a _thousand dollars_ if we've got the best float."

"I could pitch in." Alexis shrugged. "How about _you,_ Sari?"

"Uh, sorry, guys…" The exchange student apologized. "A, uh, friend from out of town is visiting. I'm not sure I'd have much time to help."

"Are you _sure?"_ Alexis pressed further. "We'd _love_ to have your help. And, who knows? Maybe your friend can help, too."

"Well, it's just that… he's kinda _shy."_ Sari wanted the conversation to end, quickly. She didn't usually keep Bumblebee waiting this long, and she had no idea what he'd do if she didn't eventually show up. "I… I gotta go!" She ran off, quickly.

"Um… okay, well… see ya later." Carlos waved at the fleeing image of his friend.

The rest of the school turned into a blur as Sari rushed outside. The buses had already left, but the lot was still littered with the cars of students and faculty who drove themselves. A sigh of thankful relief escaped from her lips once she spotted the yellow Beetle sitting exactly where she left it. But as she removed her necklace that held the crystal key, a hand shot out from nowhere and plucked it from her grasp.

"Hey!" She cried.

"Look here, boys." Josie Beller dangled the key in front of Fred and Billy. "I _told_ you. Sumdac got herself a _junker!"_

"Beller, give that back! This isn't _funny!"_ Sari tried to take back the key, but Beller's goons held her back.

The prima donna unlocked the car door and stepped inside. "Pfft, you're starting to make this _too easy,_ Sumdac." She mocked. "Honestly, this is just _sad._ Driving an ugly piece of shit." Suddenly, the driver's seat collapsed forward, slamming the bully's head against the steering wheel. "OW!" She yelped.

The radio switched on as the seat kept her pinned. _"~You talkin' to_ me?! _Are_ you _talkin' to_ me?! _~"_

"Let me _go!"_ Beller pounded her fist on the dash. "Let me _go!_ Fred! Bill! Get me _out_ of here!"

Sari just smiled in amusement as the two thugs released her to rush to Josie's aid. But before they could reach her, the driver's door opened up, hitting Billy in the head, and knocking him to the pavement.

 _"~His palms are sweaty! ~ Knees weak! ~ Arms are heavy!~"_ Again, the radio sounded.

"What's going on?!" Fred panicked and tried to go around to the other side. But the car lurched forward on it's own, running over his foot, then striking his backside with the passenger's door.

 _"~I'm gonna knock you_ out! ~ _Momma said knock you_ out!~"

"AH! The car's _haunted!"_ Fred shrieked and limped away in terror. Billy followed close behind, leaving Beller to fend for herself.

"Wait! Stop! Come back!" She ordered as she pushed against the dashboard with all of her strength. Sari could barely maintain her composure watching the entire ordeal. She was on the verge of bursting into a fit of laughter when the seat finally let up. But before Josie could enjoy her freedom, a stream of transmission fluid violently sprayed all over her, earning a terrified shriek. At last, the driver's door unlocked and the seat tilted to the left, dumping the bully out of the car.

 _"~I_ toldja, _homeboy! ~ U can't touch this!~"_

"Gah! _Look_ at this!" She cried, examining her ruined clothes. "Oh, god! My mom's gonna _kill_ me! Stay _away_ from me, you-you- you _freak!"_ With that, Sari finally let the dam burst and she collapsed onto the hood for support as she laughed at Beller's retreat.

 _"~Run, run, run away, baby! ~ Before I put my spell on you!~"_ Bumblebee gave one last tune of his radio to announce his victory. Once his driver wiped the tears from her eyes, he opened his door and invited her in. Sari felt immense gratitude for the yellow robot; she had tried to deal with the three bullies ever since she first arrived at the school, but no one bothered to do anything about them. At least, not until now.

"Okay, _that…_ was pretty funny." She giggled as she fastened her seatbelt.

 _["What can I say?"]_ A smug voice came dashboard. _["The least likely can be the most dangerous. Who_ were _those guys, anyway?"]_

"Aw, just a bunch of _creeps."_ Sari sighed as she drove her friend out of the parking lot. "Honestly, they're the _meanest_ people in the whole universe."

Bumblebee gave an unsure whine. _["I wouldn't say_ that."]

"What? You think trying to _steal you_ was okay?"

 _["No, not at all. I'm just saying that if you want a_ real _example of the meanest people in the universe, you should wait until you meet a_ Decepticon."]

"So, any luck finding more energon? Or calling the other Autobots?"

 _["As a matter of fact…"]_ Sari watched as Bumblebee's glove box opened up to reveal a futuristic computer. An image of a blue crystal popped up on the screen, along with an alien language she couldn't read. _["I found a_ whole lot _of energon just a short drive from where we are_ now. _If you don't_ mind, _I'd like to get a sample for testing."]_

"I think I can make _time."_ Sari smiled. "What about calling the Autobots?"

Bumblebee went on, his screen changing to some kind of digital map. _["I can't boost the signal of my communicator with what you can provide for me._ But _my scans picked up something under the dormant volcano, Mount St. Hilary. I don't know_ what _it is, but it_ definitely _isn't from Earth. You up for a little_ field trip?"]

"Hmm… St. Hilary's _three hours away_ from my host-parent's house. Mrs. Witwicky will _never_ let me go that far." Sari thought for a moment when a broad smiled spread over her lips. "Unless… I can convince her to go on a _camping trip_ this weekend! Mr. Witwicky will be home, and we can say it's a way of getting back in touch with his family! It's _perfect!"_

Just then, they arrived at the house and they parked in the garage right next to a white Sedan. The duo realized that meant Carly and Daniel were already home, so Sari opened the door to the house just enough to get a peek. She saw Carly's shadow in the living room; it sounded as if she were talking on the phone.

"Okay, she's _busy_ right now. I'll have to ask her later." She told her friend.

 _["Well, in_ that _case-"]_ The car's parts began to shift apart and rearrange themselves until the familiar form of a big, yellow robot stood in its place. Bumblebee pulled one arm behind his neck, grunting as his metal body creaked. _["Ah, it's good to stretch."]_

Suddenly, the robot's eyes widened in shock, and he pointed at the door. _["Our cover's blown!"]_ Sari whipped around towards the door...

… and saw little Daniel crawling through the opened door. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she took the infant into her arms. "It's okay, Bumblebee. We're good."

 _["But… but he's_ seen _me."]_

"Yeah, but it's _okay._ I _promise."_ She did her best to ease the Autobot's paranoia. "He's brain is too _underdeveloped._ He won't even _remember_ this moment when he's older. So _trust_ me; your secret's still _safe."_

As Bumblebee finally calmed down, the teenager noticed Daniel was reaching out to him. A gleam of innocent fascination shone in his young eyes as he giggled and stretched to touch the robot. "R'bot! R'bot!" He babbled, much to her amusement.

"Do you wanna _hold_ him?" She asked her friend.

Bumblebee looked curious. _["... am I_ supposed _to?"]_

"No, but most people seem to just _like_ holding babies." She clarified. "So, _do_ you?"

Reluctantly, Bumblebee held out his hands and Sari gingerly set the infant in his grasp. The young scout had never come in close contact with an organic lifeform before he met Sari, and therefore never knew much about their physiology. However, he had been told by other scouts in the Autobot army that organics were generally soft and fragile, therefore easy to harm. As he made certain not to make any sudden moves that might hurt the child, he looked back at Sari.

 _["Now what?"]_

"Uh… try to make him _laugh!"_ She offered. "Make a funny face! Stick your tongue out at him!"

 _["Hmm…"]_ Despite how absurd it sounded to him, the Autobot did as she instructed. Daniel craned his head to the side, looking up at the robot's face. A squeal of laughter filled the room, making Bumblebee smile.

"You're a _natural."_ Sari chuckled as she tickled the boy. "How _exactly_ does life work for your species? I mean, like, where do you _come_ from?"

 _["Well, as an Autobot, I was taught that I was meant to_ protect life."] Bumblebee explained. _["For Cybertronians, all of our lives come from the_ AllSpark. _And you humans are_ also _life. So, by_ definition, _we must protect_ you, too. _But, I'm_ curious _as to how you organic beings create these…_ smaller _lifeforms. How do you do it?"]_

Sari blushed bright red and twiddled her thumbs in embarrassment. "Well, uh… y'see… when a _man_ and a _woman_ love each other… they, uh… they kind of, uh…" She leaned close to the vent-like openings under his horn and whispered the explanation.

Bumblebee blinked in shock and handed the infant back to her. _["... I need to get off this planet."]_

Just then, they heard footsteps echoing from the hallway, and the stranded Autobot converted back to his vehicle-mode. Daniel kept reaching out to the car, even as his mother entered the garage. Sari immediately took note of the nervous expression on her face and grew concerned.

"Mrs. Witwicky, are you okay?"

"They, um… they lost contact with Spike's unit." She breathed, heavily. "The base he was stationed at was _destroyed."_

"Oh, my _god…"_ Sari gasped. "Is… is he-?"

"They don't _think_ so." Carly shook her head. "They said… they said there wasn't any trace of him and a few others. But I… oh, god. How could this happen?"

"H-hey, it's _okay."_ Sari rubbed her host-parent's arm, trying to comfort her while still holding Daniel.

"Mama?" The infant whimpered, upset to see his mother crying.

"Look, let's… let's all go _inside."_ Sari reasoned. "This is a _lot_ to take in. I'll make you a cup of tea."

"That-that sounds like a good idea. Thank you, Sari."

Sari looked back at Bumblebee, hoping that he'd understand if they waited until tomorrow to search for the energon.

* * *

 **The Next Day.**

Sari held a solemn demeanor as Bumblebee followed the trail to the energon deposit. As much as he understood why, the robot in disguise didn't like seeing his new friend so sad. _["Is your parent going to be okay?"]_

"I don't _know…"_ She sighed. "She says she's _certain_ that Mr. Witwicky is okay, but she doesn't _act_ like it. Don't worry, we're still going to St. Hilary. I convinced her that it'd help her relax a little bit."

 _["You didn't have to do that just for_ me, _Sari."]_

"Yeah, well… I made a _promise._ And I'll _keep_ it."

Although she couldn't see it, Bumblebee was smiling under his hood. _["Thank you, Sari. You… you're probably the_ best _friend I ever had."]_

At last, the energon signal ended in a construction site. Sari stepped out to investigate the area while Bumblebee idled his engine and awaited her return. Half an hour later, the teenager rushed back and rested herself against the hood to catch her breathe.

"I think we're in the clear." She wheezed. "It looks like everyone's gone _home_ for the day."

 _["Alright then."]_ The yellow car transformed, picking up his friend and resting her on his shoulder. The scout opened his trunk from his back, taking the energon converter in his hand. Sari assumed he was using it to lock onto the energon and followed the trail. But her attention shifted over to the railroad tracks, and how he was moving dangerously close to it!

"Bumblebee, _STOP!"_ She shrieked. The robot froze in his tracks just as his foot almost stepped on the tracks. "Don't step on the _third rail!"_ She warned. "It conducts _electricity_ to power the trains. One touch, and _zap;_ you're _fried."_

An electronic whine echoed around the site. Bumblebee nervously and cautiously tiptoed around the tracks before resuming the search. The beckon grew louder once they reached three excavator parked around a deep hole. The two leaned forward to get a better view. Sure enough, a large slab of blue, crystalline material lay at the bottom of the dig site.

 _["Yep. That's_ energon, _alright."]_ Bumblebee confirmed. _["Looks like the humans don't even_ know _what they've found…"]_

The Autobot gingerly lifted Sari off of his shoulder and they both carefully slid down to get a closer look. _["No… no, no, no. This isn't_ right."]

"What? Isn't this what you _need?"_ Sari was confused by her friend's expression.

 _["Yeah, but… this planet's geology isn't_ compatible _with energon."]_ He explained as he repeatedly checked his scanner. _["It shouldn't even_ be _here. Unless… unless it was_ planted _here a long time ago. And slowly grew on it's own."]_

"Is that a _bad_ thing?"

 _["Not sure."]_ He admitted, tearing a large piece from the crystal. _["I guess it depends on_ who _planted it."]_

* * *

 **Qatar.**

Spike and his unit had spent the entire night in a humble settlement. They were too tired to fully explain what had happened, but promised the officials that they would explain in the morning. Come the dawn, the group told what had happened at the Forward Operations base and requested to contact the Pentagon.

Thankfully, Lifeline had successfully translated their plight, and they were guided to a telephone line. But before they could do their work, something beneath the sand burrowed under the tower's support beams. Everyone ran in fear as the tower came crashing down. Luckily, no one was hurt.

"What the hell was _that?"_ Spike asked to no one in particular. Everyone in his group and the soldiers native to Qatar readied their weapons, setting up a perimeter around the town.

A long, gleaming horn slowly rose out of the sand, preparing to stab Captain Witwicky's back.

"WHOA!" Roadblock screamed, drawing the attention of everyone else. Spike jumped away just in time and everyone opened fire.

Three giant robotic insects, a rhinoceros beetle, a stag beetle, and a locust, burst from the ground and charged in every direction. The rhinoceros beetle fired mortar shells out of its horn at the surrounding buildings, the locust kicked away multiple assault vehicles with ease, and the stag beetle ate the soldiers that continued to fire at them.

"We gotta call the Pentagon _now!"_ Spike shouted in desperation. Thankfully, a citizen bravely made his way around the mechanical insects and tossed his cell phone towards him. Scarlett and Duke gave him covering fire while he dialed Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile in America's capital, Secretary of Defense, Alison Hart-Fairborne received the call. "Spike? You're alive? Where are you?"

"Lady Jaye!" Spike cheered before dodging another mortar shell. "Listen to me! I have _never_ seen this before in my life! We've got _three giant bugs_ tearing us to pieces! I need you to send air support to my coordinates! NOW!"

Alison rushed to the military room and ordered a surveillance drone to head to the assigned coordinates. The assembled generals were deeply disturbed by the images of the fight going down in Qatar. Alison commanded for an immediate airstrike, and patched the pilot into Spike's phone.

"Attack direction _West!"_ He ordered. _"Green smoke_ is the mark!"

Roadblock set the targets with a smoke grenade and warned his friends to clear the area. But just as the airship arrived, the three robot insects transformed into bipedal monsters and continued their assault. Under Spike's instructions, the Air Force hit the robots with everything they had.

At last, the machines were destroyed beyond recovery. Secretary Hart-Fairborne ordered the pilot to circle back and bring the unit directly to D.C. But while the ship was preparing to land, Spike, Duke, and Roadblock inspected the damage.

All three of the robotic insects had some kind of insignia on them. A symbol that none of them recognized. A red king cobra.

* * *

 **Regulon Four.**

The group had taken Hound's advice. The three 'bot's chosen as candidates to lead were Cliffjumper, Arcee, and Drift. Hound downloaded the results onto his data pad and programmed them to read off at random. Cliffjumper was still being provocative; showing off his blasters to the former Decepticon. Thankfully for the others, the stoic cyber samurai was more than capable at controlling his emotions.

"Okay, the votes are in, and they've been _shuffled_ around." Hound announced to the zealous makeshift crew. "Let's see what we've _got_ here… one vote for _Cliffjumper…_ one vote for _Arcee…_ one vote for _Drift."_

The three candidates eyed each other. It was obvious that they would have each voted for themselves, the real decision rested in the hands of their three crew members. Hound continued after checking on their responses. "One _more_ vote for Cliffjumper… _another_ vote for Arcee…" Hound's eyes widened in surprise before a tired sigh escaped his lips. This would _not_ end well. "And… _another_ vote for Drift."

"WHAT?!" Cliffjumper slammed his fist on the wall, looking redder than usual. "Alright, _fess up!_ Which one of you _traitors_ voted for the Decepticon?!"

"Cliffjumper, _stop!"_ Hound ordered, irritably. "It's a _secret_ ballot! _No one_ has to say who they voted for."

Drift chuckled to himself. "I take it your _'democracy'_ didn't come equipped with a method to break a tie?"

"Okay, _that's_ it!" Cliffjumper pointed every weapon on his body at the smug warrior. "YOU MESS WITH THE CLIFFJUMPER, YOU GET THE HORNS!"

But before any energon could be spilled, a sharp buzzing noise forced everyone into a state of perplexed anguish. Red Alert struggled over to the ship's control console and adjusted the frequency of the communicator. By the time the noise reached a tolerable volume, the medic's emergency sensors installed in her head were still flashing blue from the strain. At last, everyone's audio receptors readjusted to the point where they could hear the message.

 _"Roger me! Wilco me! Anything?! Hello, hello, Autobots!"_

"I _recognize_ that voice!" Arcee pushed her way over to the console. "Jazz! This is Arcee, I read you!"

 _"Arcee?! Damn, is it good to hear your voice!"_ The lieutenant replied. _"Where are you? Is anybody_ with _you?"_

"I'm with _Cliffjumper, Bluestreak, Drift, Hound,_ and _Red Alert._ We crashed on _Regulon Four._ Jazz, how _long_ have we been in stasis? Are you on _the Ark?"_

 _"'Fraid not, pretty 'bot. Me, Skids, Nautica, Chromedome, and Rewind are on_ the Arclight _somewhere in the system. As for the_ stasis _question; I wish I knew. But for now, y'all might as well just_ sit tight. _We'll come an' pick ya up in a deca-cycle."_

"Roger that." Arcee grinned. "Can't wait to see you. Over and out." The marksman deactivated the comm-link and took a seat. "Alright. _Now_ we have our orders."

"Ugh, I _detest_ waiting in such _small_ confinements." Drift complained. "It restrains a warriors _mobility._ If the Decepticons should _attack,_ we will most likely be _unprepared!"_

"Heh, you don't have to worry about the _'cons_ offin' ya, Sword-bot." Cliffjumper crossed his arms and glared at the defector. _"That's_ a pleasure I'm reserving for _myself."_

"Ooh, I _appreciate_ your _concern,_ horn-head." Drift countered, sardonically. "But let me _assure_ you; being _shot in the back_ by a minibot with _anger issues_ would not exactly earn me a place in the halls of the _Matrix."_

"Aw, poor _baby!"_

"Something tells me it's going to be a _long_ deca-cycle." Red Alert muttered to herself.

"Whelp, I agree with _Drift."_ Bluestreak rose from her seat, stretching her arms. _"I'm_ gonna go for a _drive."_ With that, the Autobot soldier opened the ship's main entryway, converted to her vehicle-mode, and sped off onto the dead planet's soil.

"Argh! Bluestreak, get _back_ here!" Cliffjumper groaned and chased after his partner, leaving Drift to meditate.

Little did the Autobots realize that on the other side of the solar system, _the Nemesis_ was slowly drifting through the void.

 **To Be Continued!**


	4. Festivities and Memories

**The Chaar System.**

 _The Nemesis;_ the most feared warship in the galaxy. Countless civilizations trembled in terror at the mere mention of the Decepticon flagship. In addition to its monumental size, it was equipped with the best weaponry Cybertronian science had to offer. Rumor has it that the full power of the ship once wiped out an entire planet's population.

But a ship is only as good as the crew that mans it. Megatron and four-fifths of his army had disappeared through the space bridge during the battle against _the Ark._ The only remaining crew members who had survived the transport were the Seekers; Starscream, Air Commander and First Lieutenant of the Decepticons, and his private armada.

Fortunately for them, a small brigade of Vehicon troopers had also survived the transport, making it easier to maintain control of the ship. But infighting between the Seekers often caused problems in finding a proper course of action. Starscream often argued that being Megatron's second-in-command automatically granted him the right to lead, but Thundercracker and Slipstream constantly made a bid for power.

But after weeks of constant bickering and aimlessly drifting through the cosmos, the ship's communications officer detected a familiar energy signal on the burnt out husk of Chaar. The Seeker trio ceased their argument to acknowledge the finding.

"What is it, Soundwave?" Thundercracker asked.

Without a word, the Decepticon loyalist motioned to the signal, comparing it to one all four of them recognized. Slipstream gasped in surprise. "Residual energy from the space bridge? Just like _the Nemesis_ when we emerged from stasis. _"_

"But this signal appears to be _altered."_ Thundercracker pointed out. "I've seen this energy before. It's _dark energon!"_

"Are you saying that signal belongs… to _Megatron?"_ Starscream spluttered. "B-but he was _microns_ from the detonation point! Your sensors must be _malfunctioning! Ignore_ the contact! _Delete_ the coordinates!"

Beneath his mask, Soundwave glared at the traitorous commander. Luckily, both Thundercracker and Slipstream shared his sentiment, and crossed their arms in disgust. Upon realizing what he had said and to whom he said it, Starscream smiled, weakly. "Uh, heh-heh. Wha-what am I _saying?_ Ahem, _of course,_ this must be- erm - _investigated._ Slipstream, take a squadron to the surface. _If_ our master is down there, _you_ will bring him home."

"Oh, _thank you,_ Starscream." The female Seeker rolled her eyes and headed for the ship's hangar. "So _surprising_ that you wouldn't reserve the honor for _yourself."_

"Don't _start_ with me, woman." The sniveling commander threatened.

Slipstream had taken five Vehicon fliers with her, along with Flatline, _the Nemesis'_ medic. Following the signal, the group transformed upon touchdown and began shifting through the scorched soil of the planet. Hours later, the doctor and Seeker found their leader's heavily damaged body.

Flatline activated the energon sensors in his two fingertips and scanned Megatron's neck. "Hmm… his spark is _weak._ And growing _weaker."_

Without warning, Megatron's optics opened up, and he grabbed the startled doctor by his arm. "I… still… _function…"_ He groaned. Upon closer inspection, Flatline noticed a faint glimmer of purple light emitting from his leader's chest cavity. The sadistic medical officer had heard stories of his master collecting scraps of an ancient substance that dated back to the age of the Primes. As a scientist, he refused to believe in it without solid evidence, but there was no denying it now. Megatron had truly discovered the fabled Blood of Unicron.

"Hmm… _dark energon."_ He surmised. "I'll bet my _life_ that's what saved him."

"Can you save him?" Asked Slipstream, anxiously.

"Well…" Flatline grinned, sadistically, at the five Vehicons as his hand converted into an energon harvester. "I'll need some of _this!"_ A stream of harvesting energy struck the Vehicons, draining them of their life-giving fuel. Once the harvester was full, the medic's tool extended four prongs and he jammed it into Megatron's chest. "And then, I'll need to do _this!"_ He laughed, hysterically, as the stolen energon pumped into Megatron's body.

The tyrant's wounds began to rapidly heal as his eyes flickered with light. His entire body lurched, violently, and he rose back to his feet. Leaping into the air, he transformed into his jet-mode and soared into the sky. Slipstream and Flatline followed suit and guided their leader back to the ship. Once they arrived, Megatron reverted to his robot-mode as he landed with a powerful stomp.

The warlord marched through the halls of his flagship, with the two Seekers close behind. At last, he reached the command deck. "Decepticons! Your rightful lord and master has _returned!"_

"ALL HAIL MEGATRON!" The Vehicons cheered.

Megatron's gaze traveled across the entire deck before he spotted the cowardly Decepticon who had arrogantly taken his place as supreme leader. "Starscream…" He growled. "... I'm _home."_

"Lord Megatron…" The Air Commander gasped, bowing in respect. "You're… you're _here!_ You have _returned!_ It is a _miracle!"_

"You left me to _die_ on that wretched planet!" Megatron snarled as he roughly clawed at Starscream's face.

"B-but, _no one_ saw you when we arrived through the space bridge!" The Seeker tried to reason, but his leader did not look convinced. "I-I only did what I did to _rally_ our grand army, master! A-after all, with your fate _unknown_ at the time, _someone_ had to take command-"

Megatron had heard enough. In one swift motion, he gripped his lieutenant's neck and thrust him against the wall. Starscream choked as he desperately struggled to break free.

"Your pathetic attempt at leadership has lead to _dissension_ among what remains of my flag ship's crew!" Megatron snarled, tightening his grip. "The rest of my army is now _scattered_ to the stars and _you_ have been treating it as a means to _further_ your agenda!"

"M-master! _Please!"_ Starscream begged, gagging and kicking as he was lifted higher. "My intentions were _true!_ Please, _have mercy!"_

Megatron scoffed at his soldier's weak plea. Time and again, Starscream had made clear his desire to usurp him and take control of the Decepticon armies. In truth, the only reason he ever kept the scheming sycophant alive was to maintain a numerical advantage over the Autobots. But by now, his patience had run short.

Just as he was about to tear Starscream apart, the command deck's entrance opened again. A dark soldier stepped forth and bowed before his leader. Megatron reluctantly released his captive and turned to his most trusted lieutenant.

" _Arise,_ Soundwave." He ordered, and the communications officer silently obeyed. "You have something to _say?"_

"Yes, Lord Megatron…" Soundwave pressed a button on his left shoulder, causing his chest cavity to open. In a blur of motion, Laserbeak emerged from the communications officer, circling the air. "Laserbeak, transform. Operation: Reconnaissance."

As per his master's command, the metal bird of prey transformed into his memory stick-mode and attached himself to the ship's computer. The trio of Decepticons watched with interest as the screen flickered on to reveal footage of what remained of _the Alchemor._ Only six Autobots appeared to be aboard, judging by the number of voices speaking, and they had just finished calling for help. Not only that, but two 'bot's had split from the group.

"Hmm…" The Decepticon supreme leader rubbed his chin, carefully strategizing their next move. "Starscream."

"Y-yes, my lord?" The traitorous sub-commander quivered, still rubbing his neck.

"Assemble your Seeker Armada and investigate with _extreme caution."_ Megatron ordered. "This may very well be _just_ the advantage we need."

"At _once,_ Lord Megatron!" Starscream opened his comm-link. "Thundercracker! Have Slipstream and the others prepared for take-off! I will join you, shortly."

But as the Air Commander paced towards the hangar, he stopped in his tracks at the sound of his master's voice.

"And Starscream?" Megatron glanced over his shoulder. "Keep in mind; you have been granted your _final chance_ at redemption."

* * *

 **Detroit, Michigan.**

Inside the garage of the Witwickys, Sari Sumdac was diligently using Spike's tools to inspect the inside of her robot companion's throat. As soon as they got home from school, she ordered him to transform and lie down while she set up the equipment. In less than half an hour, she had carefully opened up his neck cavity under his instruction and found the damaged voice-box. A fine sheen of sweat coated her face as she meticulously fiddled with the loose circuits and wires.

Bumblebee tried his best to stay still, but he was a restless Autobot by nature. As much as he appreciated what Sari was trying to do for him, but he had been through the same process with three different medics before, and none of them had even come close to repairing his voice. He'd much prefer to spend his time with her by learning more about her planet and what it had to offer. In addition to the music she shared with him, she had taught him about video games and television; both of which he greatly enjoyed.

"Okay… and, _done!"_ Sari lifted her welding mask, having just closed up her handywork. "Okay, 'Bee! Your _real voice!_ Let's hear it!"

Bumblebee sat up, rubbing the hot weld that sealed up his neck. This had been Sari's third attempt at repairing his damaged voice-box, but this time it felt different. This time, he could feel as if something other than static code was rising in his throat. Eagerly, he opened his mouth, preparing to give his friend a sincere "Thank you."

"Ah…aaah... a-ah… a-" Only to be cut short by a loud, violent cough, followed by a disappointed whine.

"Aw… _sorry,_ Bumblebee…" The teenager sadly slipped her headphones back on. "Don't worry, though. I'm _not_ giving up. I'm gonna hear what you _really_ sound like, someday."

 _["It's okay, Sari. At least you_ tried."] The yellow Autobot assured his friend, but quickly noticed that her attention was elsewhere. Leaning closer, he could see that she was gazing at a pamphlet for some kind of special event. _["What's that?"]_ He asked.

"Oh, just something my school is doing, today…" She sighed. "A few of my friends asked if I wanted to help, but I… I turned them down." Crumpling the paper up and tossing it in the trash, she started cleaning up her borrowed tools. "I don't know _what_ my problem is… maybe I just don't _deserve_ to have friends."

 _["What?"]_ Bumblebee scoffed. _["That's_ ridiculous, _Sari! You're the coolest human I've ever met!"]_

"Aw, _'Bee_ …" Sari blushed brightly before giving a confused and skeptic expression. "Wait… aren't I the _only_ human you've ever met?"

 _["My point still stands."]_ He pouted, crossing his arms.

Sari chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Well, at least _one_ thing is going right for you, today. In just _three hours_ Mrs. Witwicky will be back from work and we can head to Mt. Saint Hilary-"

"Wassup, chica?!" Suddenly, the garage door swung open and Carlos, Rad, and Alexis barged in. "How's it-"

Bumblebee was frozen in terror at the sight of the three humans. Had he spent almost two weeks going unnoticed only to be discovered by accident? Sari wasn't faring any better, herself; she thought that her friends had something better to do since she had all but rudely pushed them away. Regardless, she finally found her voice, again. "H-hey… what're you guys _doing_ here?"

"Well, we wanted to see if you at least wanted to come _see_ the parade." Rad hadn't taken his eyes off of the giant robot.

"But… what is _that?"_ Alexis gaped.

Sari's mind desperately raced to come up with an excuse, but she couldn't think of a way to explain why she had a ten-foot-tall, yellow robot sitting in her host-parent's garage. Thankfully, she remembered the one thing that could save Bumblebee's secret. "SURPRISE!" She smiled, awkwardly. "I-I built a _parade float!_ For-for-for the _thing!_ The _Parade!"_

"Really?!" The trio smiled, unaware that Bumblebee was now staring at his companion in disbelief.

"Y-yeah! Totally!" Sari went on. "I wanted it to be a _last-minute surprise,_ but it looks like you beat me to it! Oh, _well!"_

"Well, this is _great!"_ Carlos cheered. "With a float like _this,_ we're _sure_ to win the contest!"

"Oh, no! No, no, no, no, _no."_ Sari shook her head, nervously. "I-I don't _want_ to enter the _contest."_

"Uh, then why did you build a _parade float?"_

The poor girl's eyes nervously darted over to Bumblebee, who silently begged her to come up with something. Acting on impulse, she tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible. "To _win_ the contest!"

"Now, _that's_ the spirit!" Rad gave her a pat on the back. "So, how do we move it?"

"Uh… _I_ move it!" Sari lied, rummaging around in her backpack until she felt her phone in her hand. "Y'see, uh, I just-uh, I just-I have it hooked up to my _phone!_ And, I control it through _Bluetooth!"_

"That is so _cool!"_ Carlos exclaimed. "How'd you do _that?"_

"Uh…" The exchange student was running out of excuses. "Ah, y'know… my dad's an _engineer._ He taught me a few _tricks._ I guess I just have a _knack_ for this stuff."

"Well, the parade's gonna start in about _half an hour."_ Alexis checked her watch. "We better get going!"

"Yeah… let's get _going."_ Once her friends were gone, Sari turned back to Bumblebee. The Autobot was shaking in fear. "Okay, I know this looks _bad,_ but we just have to get through this parade. It's only _three miles._ Just move _slowly_ like those robots in those cheesy old movies I showed you the other day and we'll be _fine."_

 _["Are you_ sure?"] He whined.

"Yes. Yes, it'll be _okay."_ She promised, rubbing his arm for comfort. "Just… just stay close to _me_ and everything will be fine."

 _["... okay. I trust you."]_

A few minutes later, Bumblebee was standing alongside the parade floats, trying to convince the other students that he wasn't alive. Sari kept her promise and stayed beside him the entire time, making sure no one got too close. As his friend spoke with her teachers and classmates, the Throttlebot couldn't help but overhear some of the students talking about Sari behind her back.

"Can you believe she _built_ that?"

"Eh, she probably _paid_ someone to do it for her."

"I mean, she's from _India._ They're _supposed_ to be tech-savvy, right?"

"Heh, she's just a _girl,_ though. Betcha it _falls apart_ the first _ten minutes_ of the parade."

Bumblebee growled under his breath; now he understood why Sari thought so little of herself. Of course he could empathize her, being one of the smallest and youngest of the Autobot military, he had endured numerous rude remarks from the higher-ranking soldiers. He would never wish that kind of mistreatment on anyone else, least of all one of his friends.

Eventually, the parade started. Bumblebee did as suggested, moving like a stereotypical robot he'd seen in old movies Sari watched with him. But the farther they got down the road, the young 'bot quickly noticed the crowd looked bored with him. He felt sad seeing Sari and her friends look so disappointed in the outcome. He decided to step up the game a little.

Bumblebee punched the air and stretched, earning everyone's attention. _"~Alright, alright, alright! ~ What's up, my people?!~"_ His radio blasted.

"What are you _doing?!"_ Sari half-screamed/half-whispered, pulling on her ponytails. But the robot just winked at her and went on, waving at the crowd on the side of the road. Everyone gathered around were completely bewildered by the incredible sight to behold.

"Holy frijoles, Sari!" Carlos clapped, happily. "You went _all out!"_

"Is that the _radio?"_ Rad smiled, equally excited.

"This is _amazing!"_ Alexis shrieked with joy.

 _"~Okay! ~ Now, DJ ~ I'mma need me some fresh_ beats! _~"_ Bumblebee snapped his fingers and pointed at the girl who orchestrated this plan. Sari gazed at the impressed faces in the crowd, feeling a sense of excitement building up in her heart.

"Uh… o-okay." Scrolling through her phone's playlist, she tried to think of some songs she and the Autobot had danced along she found the perfect choice. Once she pressed "play," Bumblebee instinctively bobbed his head along to the upbeat tunes. Soon, he was tapping his feet and clapping his hands, encouraging everyone else to follow suit.

 _"~Party rockers in the_ house, _tonight! ~ Everybody just have a_ good time! _~ And we gon' make ya_ lose _your minds! ~ Everybody just have a_ good time! _~"_

Sari was amazed at how loudly everyone cheered and danced to the music. Eventually, she found herself dancing as if no one could see her. And soon after that, Alexis, Rad, and Carlos did the same.

 _"~Shake that!~"_ Bumblebee mimicked Sari's dancing, perfectly, as they moved further down the road. The five youths felt elated as a thunderous applause echoed around them. At last, the parade ended, and they all posed humorously at the song's conclusion.

Half an hour later, Bumblebee was back to standing perfectly still while the entire school crowded around to get a picture of him, Sari, and her friends. The exchange student was resting on his shoulder, waving to everyone gathered. When no one was looking, she leaned towards the vent under Bumblebee's horn and whispered, softly.

"This is the most fun I've _ever_ had! Oh, here comes Principal Dean!"

"Welp, I'm sure this comes as no _surprise,"_ The robust woman smiled, carrying a large trophy and a blank check. "The winners of this contest are _Sari Sumdac, Alexis Di Thang, Rad White,_ and _Carlos Lopez!"_

Everyone clapped and cheered in celebration. Sari insisted that Alexis hold onto the check to distribute the winnings equally. But the other three wouldn't let her hand over the trophy, seeing as how it was her "float" that won them their victory. After that, it was only a matter of time before she was able to lead Bumblebee into an isolated area to revert to vehicle-mode.

Once her friend had transformed, the teenager lifted up the trophy with one hand and aimed her phone's camera with the other. "I am _so_ posting this on Instagram!"

What she didn't notice, however, was that the blue Alpha-Key that had brought Bumblebee back to life was still dangling from her neck. It was a detail she would overlook at the time, but someone else would eventually take note of it. Someone _sinister._

* * *

 **Regulon Four.**

"Bluestreak!" Cliffjumper shouted as he raced after his partner over the infertile soil. "Bluestreak, get your bumper back to the ship!"

"You _want_ me?! Come and _get_ me!" Bluestreak yelled back and increased her speed.

"GRRRR!" The red minibot growled as a cloud of dust covered his windshield. "This isn't _funny!"_

"Then _why_ am I _laughing?!"_ The silver-plated soldier cackled and raced into a tunnel, with her partner not too far behind. "Tell you what, Cliff; if I get to the end of the tunnel before _you,_ you owe _me_ a kiss!"

"This is no time for _games,_ Bluestreak!" Cliffjumper replied. "Now get back to the ship, or I'm gonna- _huh?"_

Meanwhile, as she continued down the winding cavern, Bluestreak's frame was illuminated by beautiful crystals that accumulated the walls. _"Huh. For a_ dead _world, this planet is kinda pretty."_ She thought, just before she drove past a prehistoric fossil. _"Ugh, in a_ necromantic _kinda way, I guess."_

At last, she reached the end of the cave and transformed to jump with joy. "Ha ha ha ha! I _beat_ ya!" Bluestreak laughed. "Too _slow,_ Cliff…! Cliff? Cliffjumper?" Surprisingly, she couldn't even hear the purr of her partner's engine. She peeked inside, waiting for him to catch up, but he never came. "Hey, Horn-Head, are you okay?"

Eventually, she started backtracking through the blinding darkness in search of her friend. When she finally found him, he was standing in front of a petrified skeleton, optics wide open. It wasn't until she saw the position of the skeleton when she understood why.

"Oh, no…" She cupped a hand over her mouth.

 _Millenia ago, during the war for Cybertron, Cliffjumper was bound and caged inside the Decepticon stronghold in Kolkular. His captor, Lockdown, specialized in hunting and torturing Autobot soldiers to obtain vital information. The Decepticon general had cut, beaten, and blasted his latest prey to the brink of death, but the strong warrior wouldn't say a word._

 _"Y'know, I've done this to_ several _of Prime's_ elite commanders." _Lockdown bragged as he sharpened his hook. "Star Saber, Victory, Powered Convoy, Metalhawk… they put up a good fight_ at first, _but it never took long to get what I wanted out of them. But_ you? _You've proven to be a_ tough lug nut _to crack."_

 _Cliffjumper said nothing. He only glared at the psychotic hunter, waiting for him to finally snuff out his spark. "In fact," Lockdown continued. "I'm willing to bet that no matter_ what _I do to you, you'll_ never _tell me where Magnus' Elite Guard is going to strike. But let's see what happens when it's not_ your _spark on the line."_

 _All confidence Cliffjumper had washed away as two Vehicons dragged a white and blue Autobot into the dungeon with him. "Mirage…?" He whimpered._

 _"Ugh…" Lockdown sunk his hook into the scout's shoulder, lifting him into a seprate stasis field._

 _"What have you_ done _to him?!" Cliffjumper snapped._

 _"Nothing…_ much." _Lockdown grinned, sadistically. "Now, just tell me what I want to know, or… well, you're_ smart. _I'm sure you can guess what happens to your pal, Mirage."_

 _"I don't know about the attack coordinates!" The Autobot prisoner admitted. However, his captor wasn't convinced, and moved back to the unconscious scout. Cliffjumper struggled against the field that held him. "I swear to Primus, it's the_ truth!"

 _"Well, I'm afraid I can't take your_ word _for it."_ _The hook retracted into the Decepticon's arm, replaced by a long buzzsaw. "Megatron demands either the_ coordinates _or an Autobot's_ head."

 _"No! No,_ please!" _Cliffjumper had never begged before; especially not to a Decepticon. But it was always because_ he _was the one being threatened. Mirage was too weak to even hold up his head, and yet this sadist was about to slice him to pieces with no remorse. "Please! Don't do it!"_

 _Mirage's eyes rolled towards his friend, trying to say something. But Lockdown started the saw, and tilted his victim's head towards him with his free hand. "You have your_ partner _to thank for this."_

 _"No! Please! Stop!" Thin streams of lubricant leaked out of Cliffjumper's optics as Lockdown aimed his weapon._

 _"C-C… Cliff-?" The last thing the Autobot saw was his oldest friend, just as serrated steel tore his spark chamber wide open._

 _"MIRAGE!" Cliffjumper's anguished cry echoed around the ship._

 _"Hmm… too bad. He would've been good for a few_ upgrades." _Lockdown mused as he picked shards of energon-soaked metal out of his saw. Then, he turned to his other prisoner. "But since_ you're _all but useless, I guess_ two heads _will be better than_ one."

 _Suddenly, a powerful blast blew a hole in the wall, and an Autobot rescue team stormed the facility. Streetwise, Stakeout, and Prowl kept Lockdown busy while Bluestreak rushed to save the only surviving Autobot. She freed him of the containment field, but he pushed her aside and fell to the ground due to his injuries._

 _"H-hurry!" Despite his damage, Cliffjumper forced himself to crawl over to the imobile body of his comrade. "Mirage, get up! C'mon, Mirage,_ get up!" _He shook his oldest friend as hard as he could, but there was no response. "Don't you_ dare _quit on me, Mirage! Stay_ with _me, partner! You're gonna make it! You're gonna_ make _it, Mirage!"_

 _Unfortunately, it was no use. The light finally faded from Mirage's optics, and Cliffjumper screamed in anguish. Prowl ordered Bluestreak to grab Cliffjumper and make a break for the exit. But the Autobot soldier was having trouble pulling him away from the corpse._

 _"No! No, no, no!" Cliffjumper wailed. "I can_ save _him! We-we need to_ save _him!"_

 _"Cliffjumper! Cliffjumper,_ listen _to me! He's_ dead! _We have to go, now!"_

 _"No! He_ needs _me! Let me go!" At last, the group managed to drag the traumatized warrior out of the Decepticon stronghold._

Back in the present, streams of coolant ran down the red Autobot's face as his lifelong grief slammed into his spark once more. "Oh, Cliff…" Bluestreak put her hand on her partner's shoulder, only to drop to her knees and embrace him once he collapsed. "Cliffjumper, I'm _sorry."_

"I couldn't… I couldn't _save_ him!" Cliffjumper sobbed into his friend's lap. "I couldn't save my _partner!"_

"Shh, shh. It's _okay,_ Cliff… it's _okay,_ I'm here." Bluestreak rubbed Cliffjumper behind his horns, trying to calm him down. "Let's get back to the ship."

The duo slowly walked back to their temporary headquarters, when something caught their eyes. The tallest of the two slid a telescopic visor down from her helmet, enhancing her view of the menacing objects. Cliffjumper didn't need a visor to see what it was' all he needed was the same feeling in his spark he'd felt countless times since the beginning of the war.

"DECEPTICONS!"

 **To Be Continued!**


	5. The Discovery

**Regulon Four.**

"Aw, _sludge!"_ Bluestreak cursed as the sinister planes swooped down, firing at her and her partner. "It's the slagging _Seeker Armada!"_

"Good! I wanna _kill_ some 'cons!" Cliffjumper converted his arms into cannons and opened fire on the enemy.

The flying Decepticons scattered in the air, dodging the blasts. Dirge, Thrust and Ramjet were the first to transform, circling around their cornered pray while still avoiding the blasts. "Nice shooting! If you were aiming for the _sky!"_ Ramjet mocked as the trio returned fire.

"Bite me, conehead!" Cliffjumper retorted and fired again.

"Okay, _now_ we can retreat!" Bluestreak narrowly dodged a missile by converting to alt-mode. "C'mon, Cliff! We gotta _go!"_

But the red warrior wasn't listening, he just laughed in anticipation as the Seekers landed on the planet's surface. "You want the horns?" He grinned, reaching for his glass-gas cannon behind his back. "YOU _GOT_ 'EM!"

"Oh, _frag!_ It's that crazy red runt!" Thrust screamed in terror and tried to fly away. But it was no use; a small capsule fired from the cannon and detonated in the air. Thrust, Ramjet, and Dirge were caught in the blast, and the chemicals embrittled their framework.

"This is for _Mirage!"_ Cliffjumper yelled in fury as he transformed and rushed the Decepticons. The trio shattered upon impact and Cliffjumper made a hasty retreat with his partner.

The two Autobots headed back to the _Alchemor_ as quickly as they could, while avoiding Starscream's null-ray. "Pathetic fools!" The Seeker leader screeched as he chased his prey. "There's _no escape!"_

"AH!" Something sharp pierced Cliffjumper's hide, making him yelp. "What the slag was _that?!"_

"Who _cares?!"_ Bluestreak shouted. "As long as you can still _drive, gun it!"_

Thankfully, a sword effortlessly sliced through his wing, and he spiralled out of the sky. Slipstream and Thundercracker soon caught up just in time to see the new attacker. The sword fell from the sky, and a white ninja-bot caught it with ease before aiming it at his former commanders.

"Deadlock!" Thundercracker growled. "You putrid traitor! I thought the _D.J.D._ would've taken care of you by now!"

Drift didn't acknowledge the remark, he just transformed and followed his new companions. Once the trio arrived at _the Alchemor,_ they took cover in the ruins while Hound handed out fully loaded firearms. "Okay, Jazz and his crew in _the Arclight_ are just a few breems away! We just gotta hold out until then!" The large warrior ordered. "I'm gonna cover you guys. If I _stop_ covering you guys, it means I'm _dead._ But that's not gonna happen."

An explosion rocked the ship, signaling the arrival of the Seeker Armada. Hound's back opened up to reveal a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher, and charged at the attackers. Another explosion followed soon after, along with three painful screams.

"Scrap!" Arcee cursed, loading her rifle. "Times like these, I _really_ miss the boss-bot!"

"Look out!" Bluestreak pushed the sniper out of the way before a null-ray blast tore through the hull.

Thankfully, Red Alert spotted a bright light streaking through the atmosphere. "Yes! _The Arclight_ is here!"

"Drift, set the beacon!" Hound ordered.

The swift defector leapt over the Decepticons, activated the beacon, and launched it into the air with a strong kick. _The Arclight_ swooped down and laid down covering fire for the Autobots. Once the ship landed, an emergency hatch opened up and everyone piled in. Overwhelmed by the new firepower, the Seeker's retreated back to _the Nemesis._

"Welcome, friends!" Nautica beamed. "I was worried that you would all be killed by the Decepticons. Of course, you can hardly blame me; the Seekers are _far_ more powerful than your group."

Everyone gave the aquatic mechanic an incredulous glare. Skids coughed into his fist to break the tension. "Uh, sorry 'bout that. Nautica spent most of the war repairing ships _by herself._ She tends to say whatever comes to mind."

"Why does _Rewind_ get a blaster and I _don't?"_

"Okay, that's enough." Skids gently led his Amica Endura away, letting Jazz take over.

"Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, Jazz." Hound nodded. "Thanks. So, what's the plan now?"

"Not sure." The commanding officer admitted with a sigh. "Right now, the plan is to just cruise from _system to system,_ looking for Autobot refugees."

"That's _it?!"_ Cliffjumper spluttered. "We're flying blind?!"

"Uh, Jazz?" Rewind tried to grab his commander's attention, but he wasn't listening.

"What else _can_ we do?" Jazz asked. "Without Prime or Magnus, we're without leadership."

"Guys?" Rewind tried again, only to be ignored.

"With all due respect, the red runt has a point." Drift put in. "The Decepticons are bound to catch up to us if all we do is search for the fallen."

"Guys?"

"So we're just supposed to take on the 'Cons by _ourselves?"_ Arcee crossed her arms.

"Guys?"

"For all we know, they're just as screwed up as _us!"_ Cliffjumper added. "If we catch 'em _off-guard_ we can-"

"GUYS!"

"WHAT?!" Everyone turned to the frustrated mini-bot.

"Now that I have your _attention…"_ Underneath his protective visor, Rewind rolled his optics as he tapped a button on the ship's communication hub. "We've got a message…"

 _["If ~ hear me, this ~ of the Throttlebots ~ stranded on planet Earth ~ the natives ~ send help!"]_

"Throttlebots?" The gears in Cliffjumper's processor turned until he finally remembered. "That's _Bumblebee!"_

"What? Are you sure?" Chromedome lifted his visor as he turned to his new shipmate. "'Con's _have_ been known to bait ship's with false signals."

"It's _him!_ I could _never_ forget that electronic voice!" Cliffjumper assured his crew. "We gotta _help_ him!"

"Hmm…" Jazz rubbed his chin, thinking of the best course of action. "Chromedome, can you _trace_ the message to its source?"

"On it…" The technician replied, rapidly typing on his keyboard. Once the signal's point of origin had been detected, his eyes widened in shock. "By Vector Sigma! It's coming from _the Ark!"_ A collective gasp filled the cabin as Chromedome continued to read the output. "According to my calculations, there were still _twelve_ Autobots aboard _the Ark_ when we went through the space bridge! Including Prime!"

"Well, then… that answers _that."_ Jazz announced. "Skids, Nautica, set course for _Earth._ Rewind, send a signal saying that we've received the message and we're on our way."

"Yes, sir!" They saluted.

While the others took seats, Bluestreak noticed her partner looking back at the shrinking image of Regulon Four through the viewscreen. Carefully, she made her way over to him and put her arm around his shoulders. "Look, about the cave… do you want to-?"

"No." Cliffjumper cut her off, still staring into space. "What's done is _done._ Nothing can _change_ that."

The female troop felt a pang in her Spark casing. She hugged her Amica Endura even tighter, failing to notice the tracking device dug into his chassis. "I think about him, too, y'know. _Mirage._ I often think I could've _at least_ carried him out. But I promise, we _will_ save Bumblebee."

"Even _before_ the war…" Cliffjumper sighed. "'Bee was always my _best friend._ I've _always_ been there to look out for him. Now, he's on an _alien planet_ no one recognizes. He's probably _scared, alone, confused…_ poor little guy."

* * *

 **Detroit, Michigan. 24 Hours Earlier.**

Bumblebee was having the time of his life. While Sari was finishing up the last of her mix-tapes, his optics were glued to the television screen as he blasted alien ships to pieces. When his human friend first introduced it to him, he had mistaken it for a training exercise. But after going through the basics, and a few frustrating losses, he took to it like a dinobot to magma.

Even Sari was greatly impressed - and a little jealous - of how easily he got ahead in the games she shared with him. But she didn't have much time to think about it; right now, her main concern was finishing the new remix they would need for the trip to Mount St. Hilary. As he beat the his own high score of Galaga, he glanced over to observe her work.

"How does this sound?" She asked, pressing the play button. The Throttlebot rubbed his chin and tapped his foot as he listened to the lively beats. Once the remix ended, he gave an approving thumbs up and a happy smile, much to Sari's delight. "Okay! Now, just a quick clean-up, and once Mrs. Witwicky picks up Daniel at the daycare, we'll be on our way!"

Bumblebee couldn't have asked for a better friend. Sari had done so much for him since they first met two weeks, asking for so little in return. While he knew he would eventually have to reunite with his fellow Autobots to continue the war against the Decepticons, he had hoped to spend more time with her. _["Sari?"]_ He spoke, at last.

"Hmm?" She replied without looking up.

 _["I've been meaning to ask; is creating music your designated function?"]_.

"What?" This time, she turned away from her mix-board to glance at the stranded Autobot. "What do you mean?"

 _["Before the war started, Cybertron's government was controlled by the_ Functionalist Council."] _He explained. ["They believed that your_ alt-mode _determined your status in society. Like_ me; _before I was a scout, I was a_ courier. _I'm_ compact, fuel-efficient, _and_ fast."]

"That's… that's _awful."_ Sari gaped. "No. Earth's not like that _at all._ Well, in _some_ countries it is. But _here_ we have _choices._ We have _schools_ designed to teach us skills we need in order to become _whatever_ we aspire to be. We aren't kept as _slaves_ or-"

 _["Oh, I wasn't a_ slave, _exactly."]_ Bumblebee clarified. _["There were plenty of_ other _'bot's who had it_ worse off _than I did. Heck, that's what_ started _the war in the first place. As a matter of fact, it wasn't really a_ bad _job. I got to travel_ all over _Polyhex. Sometimes I'd even get to go so far as_ Iacon _or_ Nyon. _And every other deca-cycle, I'd have enough to go to the races with Cliffjumper."]_ The Autobot chuckled. _["I can still remember all the times I teased him about when he was gonna ask Bluestreak to be his Conjunx Endura."]_

"Con-what?"

 _["Conjunx Endura."]_ He repeated. _["It's someone a 'bot cares about very much, so they decide they want to be together forever. Usually, there's a big ceremony were they invite a bunch of their closest friends, and the two join hands and reveal their sparks to each other, and pledge to be faithful to each other so long as they live."]_

"Oh, my God!" Sari squealed. "Robots get _married?!"_

Before Bumblebee could respond, the garage door began to open, and the little, yellow robot instinctively converted to alt-mode just in time. Carly slowly cruised her car into the garage and stepped out to free Daniel from the child seat. Sari tried to calm herself and smile at her host-parent. "Hi, Mrs. Witwicky. How was work?"

"Oh, just another boring day at the university." She admitted. "Just let me grab my bags and then we can leave, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." Sari nodded.

 **Hours Later.**

"And then, the man _vanished_ in a cackle of _evil laughter…"_

Carly's eyes finally closed, drifting off to a deep sleep, and Sari snuck out of the cabin. She was grateful that Bumblebee could start his engine quietly as they rolled towards the volcano. "Look, uh… I just wanna say I'm _sorry_ that this took so long." She apologized, knowing how eager her friend had been to investigate the signal. "But even after _three hours_ of driving and _two hours_ of a guided tour, she wasn't that tired. Luckily, for a talented DJ, I'm a pretty boring story-teller."

The girl was cut off when they hit a bump. A few minutes later, and the sentient robot found a small opening in the side of the mountain. The beacon prompted him to squeeze through until they found the source. Bumblebee transformed, gaping at the massive structure as he held his friend in his palm.

"Whoa…" Sari's eyes widened in bewilderment. "What… what _is_ that thing?"

Bumblebee beamed with excitement. _["That, my friend, is called…_ the Ark!"]

The two friends slowly made their way to the wrecked starship, with Bumblebee carefully cradling Sari in his arms to keep her safe. Activating the headlights mounted on his feet, he managed to avoid slipping down the steep, cavernous floor. At last, he found the main entrance of the modified cargo-hauler and entered the access code.

Sari heard an electronic whine and a series of beeps, similar to Bumblebee's "voice" when she didn't wear her headphones. Luckily, she could still understand him. _["Teletraan I, open door."]_ He ordered, only to receive another electronic whine in response. _["Oh, uh… Override. Passcode: Omega."]_

This time, a bright blue light flashed from the onboard computer; something Sari hoped was a positive development. A low rumble shook the ground they stood on, as the giant metal doors were forced open. But when they stepped inside, Bumblebee's enthusiastic smile soon vanished. He gently set his friend down and roamed around the ship's command deck.

"What's wrong?" She asked. It wasn't until following after him she spotted what had disturbed him. A hole had been carved out on the other side of the deck. Upon further inspection, they found tire tracks belonging to heavy construction vehicles and even a few discarded tools. Not only that, but Bumblebee noted that several pieces of the ship's machinery had been removed.

Thankfully, the communication and surveillance systems were still intact. Sari watched as he quickly activated the giant monitor and pulled up the video feedback. However, what he found wasn't very helpful; all he saw was both Autobots and Decepticons battling it out even after they had passed through the space bridge. He counted at least twelve Autobots remaining even after the escape ships had launched, as well as more than twenty Decepticons despite breaking off from _the Nemesis._

Once the ship crashed, everyone on both sides were lying on the floor in protective stasis lock, preserving their sparks as they lay dormant. But the Throttlebot knew that without a properly trained doctor, stasis lock could never be interrupted. So how was the ship empty if its occupants couldn't leave?

 _["This… this doesn't make any_ sense. _Where_ is _everyone?"]_

"I think _I_ know." Sari showed her friend her finding; a pipe wrench with a company logo brandishing the handle.

 _["M.A.R.S.?"]_ Bumblebee read outloud. _["Who's M.A.R.S.?"]_

Sari took out her phone and brought up a video to show her friend. The screen displayed an image of a factory diligently producing firearms and attack vehicles. A tall man in a neat suit stepped in front of the camera with a proud smile on his face. "Hello, my name is James McCullen, C.E.O. of Military Armaments Research Syndicate. For twenty generations, my family has striven to provide the world with the tools needed to protect itself from hostile threats. With the help of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, we have managed to fulfill my family's dream of a peaceful world. M.A.R.S… because we care."

Bumblebee had seen enough. Going back to the control board, he activated the communications hub and adjusted the settings. "What are you doing?" Sari asked.

 _["If I can find a strong frequency…"]_ He explained. _["I can see if there are any Autobot ships in a nearby system… and send a distress signal."]_

After a few minutes of tampering, he finally found a ship close enough for his signal to reach. But despite how desperate he was, he knew better than to give in to blind trust. He waited, patiently, for the computer to identify the serial code of the receiving end of _the Ark's_ message. A slight sensation of relief eased his circuits once it was identified as an Autobot ship.

 _["If anyone can hear me, this is Bumblebee of the Throttlebots."]_ He began. _["I've discovered_ the Ark _has been stranded on the planet Earth. Both the Autobots_ and _Decepticons may have been captured by the natives to be used as weapons. I have no real firepower, and no way of getting off of this planet. Please, send help!"]_

A deafening silence filled the deck after the message was sent out. Sari held her breath as she watched Bumblebee stare at the screen, waiting for a response. Suddenly, there was a loud "ding," and three red words flashed over the screen: _["ON. OUR. WAY."]_

 _["It worked!"]_ He cheered. _["They got my message! And soon, I'll be going-"]_ Once he turned around, he saw his new friend with a saddened and disappointed look on her face. Suddenly, he didn't feel so happy anymore; as if his spark dimmed a little inside. _["... home."]_

* * *

 **Washington, D.C.**

Captain Spike Witwicky always considered his military team his second family. Ever since he was a child, he knew he would join the army once he graduated high school. His father, Daniel "Sparkplug" Witwicky, would often take him on trips to meet his brothers in arms; including the future general, Joe Colton.

Unfortunately, Sparkplug passed away before his son could enlist, but that didn't hinder the young Spike's determination. As the years went by, Spike had earned himself an impressive reputation, earning the attention of Colton once more. The general took him under his wing, inviting him to be part of an experimental special missions force. It's purpose; to defend human freedom against ruthless terrorist organizations determined to rule the world.

Spike couldn't have said "yes" any faster. Not long after he joined, he married his high school sweetheart, sent up a nice home in Detroit, and started his own family. Thanks to the group's high success rate and precise scheduling, he was able to come home on an average of four months a year.

But his visit had been interrupted by two attacks in Qatar. At the moment, he and his team were studying three giant machinations with the ability to convert into robotic insectoids. Breaker and Mainframe were having a field day, studying the unique technology.

"Anything, yet?" Duke asked.

"Well, we've got _some_ good news. Or, maybe _bad."_ Breaker replied. "I've been studying that weird logo on our _creepy robo-crawlies_ and did a _background check._ Several cities in several countries around the _world_ have been attacked by squadrons that wear the logo. At first, I thought it might be related to the _Taliban_ or _I.S.I.S.,_ but it turns out _they've_ been having trouble with these people, too."

"So, we could be looking at a _new_ terrorist cult?" Spike's eyebrow arched. "Pretty sure that leans towards _bad_ news, Breaker."

Mainframe cut in. "But there _is_ good news; my tests show some kind of weird _radiation_ coming off of these machines. And now we can _track_ it." The technological expert entered the data into the facility's computer, searching for a similar signal. "I've _got_ something! Two signals. One in the _Kyzylkum desert_ in Uzbekistan. The other is… uh, hard to get an _exact_ feed. But it _looks_ like it's been spending most of its time near _Detroit."_

"That's where _I_ live!" Spike gasped and ran to the hangar.

"Whoa, Spike! Hold on!" Roadblock called after his friend. "You don't know what you're dealing with!"

"Marvin, my _family_ could be at stake!" Spike stopped in the doorway to call back. "I'm _not_ going to let one of these things hurt them! So don't try to stop me!"

"Who's _stoppin'_ ya? We're comin' _with_ ya!" Roadblock clarified, followed by Scarlett, Duke, Flint, and Shipwreck.

Together, the soldiers raced to the hangar and convinced pilot, William "Wild Bill" Hardy, to give them a lift. _"Huh, guess I'm going home after all."_ Spike thought.

* * *

 **Uzbekistan.**

Skywarp's mini-con partner, Thunderclash, guarded the stolen weapons while his partner scouted for energon. In his boredom, he resorted to playing with Wideload's rusted cadaver as he awaited for more fuel. At last, a gust of wind kicked up a cloud of sand, and the Seeker transformed to land in his makeshift headquarters. Thunderclash jumped with joy, reaching for the cubes in his partner's hands.

"Aw… don't be _greedy,_ my little friend." Skywarp cooed, sprinkling grains of refined energon into the mini-con's eager mouth. After refueling, the duo made their way to the crudely built computer, only to see that another virus plagued their software. "BAH! _This_ is what passes as this dustball's _information hub?!"_ A purple fist slammed against the console, trying to fix the problem. "Over _one million terabytes_ of data, and yet it's so _easily_ corrupted!"

Once the virus was deleted, the Seeker's finger transformed to fit into the large dataport. His mind subconsciously swept through multiple media websites, searching for more sources of energon. But once he reached Instagram, he found something far more interesting.

"What?! An Alpha-Key?! _Here?! Intact?!"_ The Seeker could barely believe his optics. A dark chuckle rose from his throat as he detached from the computer. "Oh, _yes._ Just _imagine,_ Thunderclash! When I deliver to Megatron _not only_ the weapons he will need to take over this world's energon reserves, but one of the Alpha-Keys needed to restore _Cybertron,_ it'll be _me_ at his right hand! Not _Starscream!_ Not _Soundwave! ME!"_

Thunderclash silently pumped his fist to congratulate his partner. "We must act _quickly!"_ Skywarp ordered Thunderclash to combine with his body as he transformed, and soon the duo raced through the sky towards America.

 **To Be Continued!**


	6. Showdown

**Detroit, Michigan**

"Please, don't go!" The girl begged as Bumblebee gathered up his own equipment. "I still haven't fixed your voice! A-and there's more _energon!_ And-and-"

 _["Sari, I… this isn't easy for_ me, _either."]_ He admitted with a sad sigh. _["But the Autobot's_ need _that key, and_ I'm _the only one who can get it to them before the Decepticons figure out it's here."]_

"Please…" Sari cried as her fingers tightened around the key.

Bumblebee's spark sank. It was only a few hours ago that Jazz and his team had entered the solar system and established contact with their missing comrade. He had been instructed to meet them at _the Ark_ so they could search for the captured Autobots, but the Throttlebot was finding it difficult to comply.

Sari wasn't faring any better. She didn't want to surrender it so easily. She didn't want her best friend to leave. But as he held out his hand, silently pleading for her to give it to him, she had no choice but to comply. Her lanyard slowly lifted away from around her neck, and she placed the Alpha-Key in his palm.

As Bumblebee lifted the garage door up, he gave a final glance to the girl. A small tear could be seen creeping down her cheek. _["I'll miss you."]_ He promised before removing the Bluetooth speaker from his chest and set it down on the floor.

Sari turned away as her friend rolled away, sobbing into her hands as she fell to her knees.

Meanwhile, _the Arclight_ was now entering Earth's orbit. Cliffjumper activated a homing beacon so that their scout could follow them while Arcee kept him occupied over the comm-link. "We sure have missed you, little buddy." She chirped. "But don't worry, as soon as we find out what happened to Prime and the others, we'll get you _off_ of this rock and _away_ from these crazy organics."

 _["What?"]_ Bumblebee responded as he continued down the highway. _["What do you mean 'crazy organics?' You've never even_ been _to this planet before. How can you judge the entire populace?"]_

"Are you _kidding?"_ Arcee snorted. "If what you told us in your message is true, these _humans_ are _savages._ I mean, have _we_ ever gone around enslaving other species? _No. Our military protocol specifically_ forbids _us from coming into contact with native lifeforms. And_ now, _we know why."_

 _["Wait, no! Arcee, you don't know what you're talking about!"]_ He replied. _["Not_ all _humans are bad! Some of them are really cool! They just wanna have fun, make music, play videogames, and live life to the fullest!"]_

The crew collectively turned to face the communication hub. There was something about his tone that led them to believe something had happened to their favorite Throttlebot during his exile. "And what, pray tell, has given you that particularly _specific_ insight?" Drift crossed his arms as he leaned towards the transponder.

 _["Uh…"]_ Were it not for the fact that he was in vehicle-mode, Bumblebee would be nervously twiddling his fingers. _["Well… for the past few weeks,_ before _I found_ the Ark, _I had been…_ observing _a human… at a_ close… ish… _but completely_ safe... _distance."]_

"You've gotta be _slaggin' kiddin'_ me…" Cliffjumper rubbed his hand over his face. "You got a _pet?!"_

 _["Hey! Don't_ talk _about her like that!"]_ Bumblebee snapped. _["Her name is Sari Sumdac, and she_ saved my life! _She even tried to fix my voice box, even though I told her it was impossible! And she… she was_ nice _to me…"]_

"'Bee?" Bluestreak noticed that his tone had become much more somber and depressing. "Are you okay?"

 _["... no."]_ He replied, changing lanes for an upcoming exit. _["Sari was the nicest, kindest, most caring friend I'd ever had… and I just_ left _her after all she'd done for me."]_

"Oh, for _Spark's sake!"_ Arcee rolled her optics. "You've known her for _three weeks._ You've known us for almost _four. Million. Years!_ What do you think is more important right now; saving _Cybertron,_ or a girl's _hurt feelings?"_

 _["But, if we just_ ignore _all the different species we come in contact with, with_ no regard _to what_ our war _does to their planets, doesn't that make us no better than the_ Decepticons?"

"Hey, if you're not gonna be a _soldier_ about this, then-"

"Arcee, _stop._ Let _me_ try." Red Alert soothed her friend's temper and politely asked to take her place at the communicator. "Bumblebee, listen to me. I _understand_ that our protocols against _alien interaction_ doesn't always make sense, but they exist so that no organic life forms can be used as leverage for the Decepticons. So far as we know, they don't even know that this planet _exists._ With the Alpha-Key now in our possession, we have a chance to _restore_ Cybertron. And as for _the girl,_ well… she'll _get over it."_

 _["I… I guess you're right."]_ Bumblebee conceded.

"Good." The medic smiled. "Now, once we rendezvous at _the Ark,_ we will need to-"

"Uh, guys?" Rewind interrupted. "I've discovered _another_ Cybertronian life-signal. It's heading towards 'Bee's refuge."

"One of _ours?"_ Chromedome asked.

"Uh, gimme a nano-klik… _and…_ " The screen flickered to reveal the identity of the second life-sign, prompting a startled gasp from the entire crew.

 _["Guys?"]_ He asked as he continued onto the exit. _["Cliffjumper, what is it? What's wrong?"]_ Still there was silence. _["Bluestreak, is everything okay…? 'Streak? Red Alert? Hound? Arcee? Somebody_ say _something! You're freaking me out!"]_

"It's… it's _nothing,_ Bumblebee." Red Alert lied, finally shaking off the initial shock. "Just, keep following the beacon and get the key-"

"Red, stop." Jazz interrupted; he decided his friend deserved to know the truth. "Bumblebee, it's… it's _Skywarp._ He must've tracked the key to the human's home before you left. I'm _sorry,_ lil' buddy, but there's _nothing_ we can do, now. We can't risk the key falling into the hands of the Decepticons. Just… just come home… 'Bee?"

A loud screeching noise echoed from the communicator, followed by several car horns going off and the Throttlebot's engine revving up. "Bumblebee, what are you doing? What's going on? Are you alright?" Bluestreak asked, nervously. "Please, say something! Look, I'm _sorry_ about your friend, but-"

"SPARKING BOLTS! HE'S TURNING BACK!" Cliffjumper shouted. Everyone watched in fear as Bumblebee's signal doubled it's speed towards the opposite direction. Cliffjumper pushed Jazz out of the way to try and reason with his oldest friend. "Bumblebee, _stop!_ This is a _Seeker_ we're talking about! You're not _strong enough!_ Bumblebee! Bumblebee! _BUMBLEBEEE!"_

But the yellow Autobot wouldn't listen. His speed ever increasing, he ignored the other drivers swerving away to avoid being hit. He didn't care. The only thing on his mind was making sure that Sari was safe. That human had been the greatest friend he'd ever had, and he would die before allowing any harm to come to her.

Eventually, the police took notice of his reckless behavior and four squad cars quickly took pursuit. Bumblee was getting closer to the exit, but the police were closing in on him. Seeing no other alternative, he transformed on the bridge, jumped down to the highway, and reverted back to vehicle-mode to continue his chase.

"I don't believe this!" Cliffjumper nervously gripped his horns. "He just _transformed_ in front of the humans!"

"Is he gonna be okay?!" Bluestreak asked no one in particular.

"All _this_ for a _human?!"_ Arcee punched the wall in frustration.

"Is he going to be _okay?!"_ Bluestreak repeated.

"No! He's going to _die!"_ Chromedome snapped.

"Alright! Everyone _calm down!"_ Jazz ordered, sternly. "Chromedome, land this ship _now!_ Cliff, you take 'Streak, Arcee, an' Hound to go get 'Bee. The rest of us will carry out the mission and recover _the Ark._ Autobots, _ROLL OUT!"_

* * *

Back in Detroit, Carly was preparing to make dinner when she found her host-daughter moping at the kitchen table. Naturally, she was concerned. Sari had given her a chance to use her parenting skills in a new light, and it pained her to see the girl like this. "What's wrong, kiddo?"

"I, uh…" Sari struggled to come up with an excuse. "I couldn't take the guilt anymore. I told my dad about the car, and, uh… he _forced_ me to sell it."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Really, I am." Carly apologized. "I know how much it meant to you. Would you like _me_ to speak with him on your behalf?"

"No, no. He was right." Sari shook her head. "I shouldn't have-"

 _ **VVVVVWWOP-BOOOOM!**_

The two women covered their ears in agony. Once the ringing stopped, Carly heard Daniel crying in his room and rushed to help him. Following the sonic boom, Sari heard a loud screeching noise coming from outside. But before she could investigate, the noise abruptly stopped, and five purple claws dug into the roof.

The house rocked, violently, as the ceiling cracked apart. At last, the roof was gone, and a giant, black and purple robot with wings shot a menacing glare at the frightened girl. Sari's eyes widened in terror and she screamed at the top of her lungs. The monster's hand snatched her up and slammed her against the floor.

"This is a _bad dream."_ Sari murmured to herself as fresh tears stung her eyes. "This is a _bad dream."_

"Are you Instagram username: SariNotSorry?!" The monster growled.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about-!"

" _Are_ you Instagram username: SariNotSorry?!"

"Yeah…"

"Where is the item in photograph three-one-one-five-three?!" Skywarp threw his captive to the ground, firing a warning shot from his arm-mounted cannon. "Where _is_ the Alpha-Key?!"

Sari gasped as she remembered the key she found in Bumblebee's cab. "I-I don't _know!"_ She admitted. "I-It's _gone!_ The Autobot took it!"

"You're _lying!"_ Skywarp snarled, keeping her pinned with his hand.

The Decepticon was cut off when a wooden chair shattered against his forearm. "You leave her _alone!"_ Carly snapped. But the woman's courage disappeared quickly as the monster eyed her baby boy. She tried to get to him first, but Skywarp's other hand brushed her aside and grabbed Daniel.

"Now, listen to me, you organic _beast!"_ He snapped at Sari, again. "Tell me what I want to _know,_ or I'll _start_ with the little one!"

Sari couldn't see her, but she heard Carly sobbing in fear for the life of her child. Coupled with Daniel's own frightened crying, she didn't know what to do. "I'm telling you the _truth!_ He _took_ it! The key's not _here!"_

"Fine. The little one it-"

Suddenly, everyone heard the unmistakable sound of tires skidding down a sharp turn. Skywarp turned just in time for a yellow Volkswagen's fender to collide with his face. Disoriented, the Seeker dropped Sari and Daniel, the latter of whom safely fell into Carly's arms. Sari watched as the attacker struggled to push the car off of him. But the Throttlebot hadn't even idled his engine, and he continued to accelerate. His tire was now scorching Skywarp's face, leaving a thick skid-mark over his eye.

At last, the car freed itself from the Decepticon's clutches and braked right in front of the three humans. Sari turned to her host-family and pulled at Carly's arm. "Get in the car!"

"Sari, what's going on?! What _is_ that thing?!"

"Get in the car! Trust me! _Trust_ me!"

"Grr, puny Autobot!" Skywarp grumbled, trying to rub the skid-mark off of his eye. The friction had caused severe damage to his right optical sensor, partially blinding him. But as he finally rose to his feet, his remaining optic saw that the yellow Autobot who attacked him was hastily driving away. With a primal roar, he transformed and jetted after his enemy.

"Sari, what is going on?!" Carly screamed as she held her crying son to her chest.

"M-Mrs. Witwicky, just _calm down!_ I can _explain!"_ A bump interrupted Sari, and she looked in the rear-view mirror. A black jet was now in hot pursuit, firing at them as they fled. "Okay, y'know what? Explanations can wait. Go, 'Bee! Go! _Go, go, go!"_

Bumblebee wordlessly complied, and increased his speed. But as he kept dodging the laser blasts, he realized that he wouldn't be able to keep it up for much longer. His only option was to give the three a chance to run. As they arrived at the construction yard where he first found the energon and made a sharp turn. His door opened up, and Sari, Carly and Daniel fell out, stumbling down a small hill.

Bumblebee's doors folded back, his hood split apart and extended outwards, his trunk opened up to allow his head and arms to pop out, and the little Autobot stood up. After checking to make sure that the humans were out of sight, he readied himself for the coming battle. A bright, purple flash opened a portal, and Skywarp transformed to tackle the Autobot.

"Sari? Your car?" Carly was dumbstruck at the incredible sight.

"We have to keep running!" She warned, and pulled her host-parent further along towards the jobsite.

But they wouldn't get very far. While Bumblebee did his best to put up a good fight, Skywarp was much bigger, faster, and stronger than him. The teleporting Decepticon picked him up and tossed him around like a rag doll. Skywarp was tempted to finish him off, but right now his only priority was the Alpha-Key. He slammed the Autobot's head into an excavator and made his way over to the fleeing humans.

Sari shoved Carly and Daniel into a nearby conex box to keep them safe. As the monstrous machine got closer, she picked up a screwdriver just as his giant hand lifted her up once more.

"Heh, heh, heh…" The Seeker chuckled, clutching his human prey, tightly. "Y'know, I've never killed an _organic_ before. If I _squeeze,_ will you go _crack?_ Or will you go _squish?"_

Sari waited until she was close enough, letting him pull her closer to his face. At last, with her free hand, she took the screwdriver and stabbed it into his left optic. Glass shattered, sparks flew everywhere, and a painful shriek echoed around the construction site. Sari braced herself as the giant robot loosened his grip to tend his injury.

"AAAH! MY EYE! MY _EYE!_ I CAN'T SEE! I CAN'T SEE!" And he was right. Skywarp was still suffering from the friction burn over his other eye, making him practically blinded. But that didn't stop him; he would have that key. "Thunderclash! Disconnect and transform!"

Suddenly, the Seeker's wings split apart, and a smaller jet burst from his back. Thunderclash transformed and pursed the three organics.

"Go! Run! _Run!"_ Sari landed on her feet and ran to lead Carly and Daniel away from to killer robots.

Meanwhile, Bumblebee's processor was finishing its reboot, and the Autobot came out of his daze. If he took any more serious damage, he would likely be forced to go into stasis lock, or worse. Once his vision cleared, he saw Sari trying to keep her host family away from the blinded Decepticon and his minion. He tried to stand, but he was still in a daze and stumbled over. But he couldn't give up; he had to save his best friend.

But as he forced himself up, he felt a strange tingling sensation on his right hand. Looking down, he saw that he was dangerously close to the third rail on the railroad tracks, and a faint memory came back to him. Something Sari had warned him about.

 _["One touch, and…"]_ Just like that, he knew how to beat his enemy.

"YOU HUMAN _FILTH!"_ Skywarp stomped his feet, following the sound of his prey's voice. "I'm gonna _kill_ you!"

Thunderclash was closing in on the group while his partner stumbled into one fixture after another. But before the mini-con could do anything, Bumblebee used his shoulder to shove him into a concrete wall, taking him out of the fight. Next, he checked his blaster's ammunition, finding that it had enough charges for four more blasts.

"Damn, Autobot! Damn, _humans!_ Where _are_ you?!" Skywarp bellowed, still trying to rub the burnt rubber out of his eye. At last, a pulse of energy struck his chest, and he blindly followed it to the source. Another blast nearly knocked him over, but still, he pressed on. After the third blast, he had finally cleared his undamaged eye, and spotted Bumblebee.

"You Autobot _punk!"_ He snarled. "Now, I've got you _dead to ri-!"_ The second Skywarp steeped on the railroad tracks, he screamed in total agony as thousands of volts of electricity violently flowed through his body. The city's lights flickered in the distance as a luminous hue surrounded the Seeker's frame, until the power was completely drained. With a weak groan, Skywarp fell backwards, shaking the ground upon impact.

Bumblebee sighed in relief before he remembered Sari. Moving quickly, he found his friend helping Carly to her feet and rushed over to her. The adult was startled, backing away to keep Daniel away from the giant robot. But Sari didn't seem afraid.

 _["Sari, are you okay?! A-are you hurt?! I'm_ sorry! _I'm_ so sorry! _I'm sorry for_ leaving! _I'm sorry I didn't get there_ sooner! _I just-!"]_ Bumblebee went on in his own, electronic voice.

"W-what?" Sari could tell that he was in distress, but without her headphones, she couldn't respond properly. "Bumblebee, I-I don't have my… I can't… w-what are you trying to say?"

With coolant leaking down his cheeks and his lips quivering, the Autobot scout dropped to his knees in front of the girl. Carly held Daniel close as she continued to stay back. She wanted to yell and warn her host daughter to run away, but her voice had failed her. However, even Sari was taken by surprise as the yellow Throttlebot gingerly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Sari smiled, happily, at the loving gesture and tried her best to put her own arms around her best friend. "It's okay, 'Bee… you did it… you saved us."

"Step _away_ from the girl!" A voice cried out.

Everyone looked up to see a military helicopter circling the jobsite. Bumblebee released his hold on Sari and held a hand over his eyes to shield them from the bright light. A harpoon shot forth, piercing the Autobot's arm.

"No!" Sari cried.

Soon, two more helicopters arrived and fired more harpoons to restrain the robot. Additionally, three armored humvees drove up and a group of soldiers forced Bumblebee to his knees. Sari screamed and tried to run and help him, but a tall, bulky soldier held her back.

"STOP IT! YOU'RE _HURTING_ HIM!" She cried. "Look, he's not _fighting back!"_

"Hang on, girl! Just chill out! Let us Joe's sort this out!" Roadblock tried to reason, but Sari kept squirming to get free. The girl sobbed as her friend helplessly struggled to break free.

"Bumblebee, I'm _sorry!"_ She called out, hoping he heard her.

"Carly! Daniel!" Another voice called out.

"Spike!" Carly turned around to see her beloved husband, alive and well. But as the two of them embraced, a fourth helicopter arrived, and a Scotsman in a neat business suit stepped out to observe the two robots.

"Mr. McCullen, sir?" The businessman turned to acknowledge his employee. "There's a _slight problem_ regarding transport, sir. We only have enough resources to take _one_ robot."

James McCullen turned back to the two robots and smiled. "Take the _victor."_ He ordered. "That big one's probably too _fried_ to be of any use."

However, once the military unit and McCullen dragged Bumblebee, Sari, and the Witwicky's away, Thunderclash finally regained consciousness. The human-sized mini-con observed his master's body until a shower of sparks burst from Skywarp's chest, and the Decepticon Seeker roared in anger once more.

 **To Be Continued!**


End file.
